Nine Students Will Present Research at Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention Saturday

Nine Lafayette students will present research conducted under the supervision of faculty mentors at the Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention Saturday at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.

Eight of the nine students are participating in Lafayette’s EXCEL Scholars program, which enables students to assist faculty with research while earning a stipend.

Four students of Chip Nataro, assistant professor of chemistry, will make presentations: Abby O’Connor, a junior chemistry major from Newton, N.J., “Synthesis and electrochemistry of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene derivatives of Ru3(CO)12”; Marquis Scholar Amanda Ohs, a junior biochemistry major from St. Paul, Minn., “Electrochemistry of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene derivatives of group 6 metal carbonyls”; Trustee Scholar Alison Campbell, a sophomore biochemistry major from West Chester, Pa., “Electrochemistry of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene”; and Michelle Ferguson, a sophomore biochemistry major from Wallingford, Conn., “Electrochemistry of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ruthenocene and related group 10 compounds.”

Three students will present research conducted under the supervision of Yvonne Gindt, assistant professor of chemistry: Trustee Scholar Stacey Wagner, a biochemistry major from Shavertown, Pa., “Stabilization Studies on DNA Photolyase as a Function of Solvent”; Meghan Ramsey, a sophomore neuroscience major from Lakeville, Minn., “Photodecomposition of the Methenyltetrahydrofolate Cofactor in DNA Photolyase”; and Katelyn Connell, a sophomore biology major from Modena, N.Y., “Investigation of the Kinetics of Quaternary Structure Formation in Phycocyanin.”

Marquis Scholar Gretel Raibeck, a junior chemical engineering major from Albrightsville, Pa., who is working with Kenneth Haug, assistant professor of chemistry, will present “Hydrogen interactions with Ni (100), (110), and (111) surfaces.”

Chris Fazen, a senior biochemistry major from Moscow, Pa., who is working with Jessica Wysocki, assistant professor of chemistry, will present “Using Chromatography as a Nonbiological Model for Organized Assemblies: Is It a Good Predictor?”

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O’Connor and Ohs received praise for their presentations at the 20th annual Esther B. and Bingham J. Humphrey Memorial Symposium in September at the University of Vermont. “The students got to discuss their work with some of the best chemists in their fields,” says Nataro. “They obtained some excellent insight into their work and received some very nice compliments. Dr. William Geiger — in my opinion the best organometallic electrochemist in the country — was very impressed that this was the work of undergraduates.”

O’Connor successfully synthesized a new ruthenium compound. Ruthenium is used in conjunction with many metals as a catalyst.

Says Nataro, “Abby is the first person known to synthesize this particular ruthenium compound. We’ve been able to obtain a crystal structure of the molecule using X-ray crystallography, and it is unique. Based on her research, we can do some catalytic studies to determine the effect of the bonding on the electrochemistry of the compound.”

“Over the summer I started a project looking at bidentate chelating ligand and how they bond to ruthenium-containing clusters,” says O’Connor. “These chelating ligand have the ability to bond in a variety of ways on the cluster. I first synthesized the compounds and then was able to spectroscopically characterize these compounds. Also, by using electrochemical studies I was able to analyze the electrochemical properties of the compounds.”

Over the course of her lab work, O’Connor discovered the new compound.

“The reaction of ruthenium dodecacarbonyl with dppf (a phosphine) yielded two totally different compounds,” she explains. “One was previously discovered and the other structure revealed that this compound, as far as we know, has not been synthesized.”

Her adviser encouraged O’Connor to think creatively and try new problem-solving techniques.

“My mentor, Dr. Chip Nataro, is a role model to me, a person I can turn to for my research project, class worries, or just a person to talk to. Dr. Nataro is always there to help me out if a problem occurs and would drop anything to help any of his research students,” she says. “He wants me to experience research and discovery firsthand, so he is not afraid to let me try my ideas. He is flexible and an all-around great mentor. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

O’Connor, who plans to attend medical school and become a pediatrician, believes the EXCEL Scholars program encourages creativity beyond the typical classroom experience. In particular, she appreciates the increased familiarity with many laboratory techniques and the chance to hone her research skills.

“I like having to think on my feet and come up with ideas. The biggest reward is making a compound that hasn’t been made before,” she says. EXCEL has also opened up new opportunities, including presenting her research at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

She adds, “One of the best things that Lafayette offers to its students is research opportunities. Never could I have imagined the chance to gain this much exposure to research at this level. Lafayette provides such an excellent environment for research. Hugel Science Center has state-of-the-art instruments and laboratories. The campus is small enough so those who want the chance to do research have the opportunity to do so. My choice to come to Lafayette was definitely the best decision I ever made, and this is mainly due to my ability to do research and investigate ideas on a whole other level. Lafayette is a great college that offers nothing but the best to the student body.”

O’Connor is a member of the Pep Band and the Marquis Players, a student group that produces and performs an annual musical to raise money for hunger and homelessness causes. She is a volunteer at Lafayette’s Landis Community Outreach Center, vice president of finance for Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, secretary of the American Chemical Society, and a participant in intramural athletics.

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Ohs’ research seeks to determine how a number of metals bond with a ruthenium compound (Ru3) that is a well-known catalyst. As Nataro explains, “Amanda is looking at how three closely related metal compounds bond with ruthenium, a compound that is used in conjunction with a lot of metals as a catalyst.”

Ohs first worked on synthesizing the new products before using electrochemistry techniques, which remove electrons from the compound, to determine the electrochemical properties of each new compound. The next step was comparing the properties for each metal.

Ohs credits her mentor with guiding her through the challenges of the procedure, particularly by helping in the synthesis and separation of each compound. “Dr. Nataro specifies what projects I will work on and makes sure I know the proper techniques and theory behind what is going on,” she says.

Ohs, who plans to enter graduate school for chemistry, finds her EXCEL experience good preparation for future challenges.

“Lafayette has wonderful facilities,” she says. “The small, strictly undergraduate atmosphere allows the students to get opportunities they wouldn’t have elsewhere and that puts us ahead of most other students.”

Ohs is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta and the Lafayette Organization of Science and Technology. She took a Lafayette course in New Zealand called New Zealand: Humans in the Landscape in the Southwest Pacific during the January interim session between semesters.

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Campbell is honing her laboratory and research skills by learning more about the electrochemistry of an organometallic compound known as 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene or dppf. She also is researching the effects of environmental conditions — such as temperature, concentration, and the nature of the supporting electrolyte — on the electrochemical reactivity of the compound. Dppf is used in conjunction with many metals as a catalyst.

“Alison used a technique which removes electrons from the compound,” says Nataro. “Based on her work, we may develop a better understanding of how this compound functions.”

“EXCEL provides an outstanding opportunity for hands-on involvement in a research environment,” says Campbell. “The satisfaction and added knowledge it has brought me have positively reinforced that focus. I also had the opportunity to co-author a technical paper on this research, something that I would not have thought possible for a second-year undergraduate.”

In addition to the laboratory experience, Campbell appreciates the mentoring environment at Lafayette.

“Working with Dr. Nataro has been highly rewarding,” she says. “This was an exceptional opportunity to gain independent laboratory experience and to establish myself in the laboratory environment. Perhaps more important was the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member, where I have been exposed to the critical thinking that needs to be applied to translate scientific inquiry into new knowledge.”

She adds, “Research at Lafayette is backed up by both funding and faculty support. The EXCEL Scholars program provides an outstanding supplemental learning environment where faculty encourage student involvement beyond the classroom and connect with students to support these efforts. Their commitment and enthusiasm are truly contagious.”

Campbell is a member of the student chapter of the American Chemical Society and Lafayette Pep Band, and volunteers through the Landis Community Outreach Center.

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Ferguson has been examining the structure of compounds to determine what affects their quality as catalysts.

“I have been looking at different types of compounds, known as organometalics, which can be used as catalysts,” says Ferguson. “A catalyst is a compound that helps to speed up a reaction. The class of compounds that we are looking at can be the best catalysts in some systems; however, in other systems they can be the worst catalysts. Through this research, we explored why these differences occur.”

Ferguson performed electrochemical studies of the compounds to determine their building blocks. As part of the research, she also created a new compound.

“This is a very recently developed compound which has not been studied extensively. Michelle did a great job on making inroads into understanding why and how these compounds work,” explains Nataro.

“I had never really done any synthesis of compounds, and the idea that I could produce a compound that had never been made before intrigued me,” says Ferguson.

She enjoyed the hands-on lab work involved in the project. “By putting different compounds through different reactions, I was able to make the new compound, which I then tested for an explanation of why it would be a good or bad catalyst.”

She credits her mentor with guiding her through the sometimes difficult process.

“Dr. Nataro was incredibly helpful in the lab,” she says. “I had never been in an environment where I was solely responsible for performing it. Dr. Nataro gave me lots of space to be on my own, but at the same time he was always open to questions.”

Ferguson plans to attend graduate school and then continue on in industry. The EXCEL Scholars work proved to be good preparation for her future, she says.

“Lafayette provides an incredible learning environment, especially when research is involved,” says Ferguson. “Learning hands-on teaches like nothing else can. One of the main reasons that I came to Lafayette was because of the EXCEL program, which is unlike any other program I found. The professors are so welcoming and eager to do research with their students. They welcome their students’ ideas and truly make them a part of the experiment process, instead of just telling them what to do. Through the EXCEL program, Lafayette enables any of its students to learn about something such as organometalics in more detail or to test out what research is really like, since a lot of the students do plan to go into industry.”

She adds, “Lafayette in general has been an incredible experience for me. The professors are thrilled to do research and to share it with their students. There is such a variety of projects that students can choose to work on, and each will give a different view of chemistry. I could not have picked a better school to help me better my education as well as provide me with the lab background that will greatly help me after college.”

Ferguson is a member of Lafayette’s chapter of the American Chemical Society, the Concert Choir, and the Madrigal Singers.

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Wagner used biochemistry and physical chemistry techniques to investigate protein isolation and stabilization as an EXCEL Scholar during the 2002 interim session between semesters. Her work included growing E. coli bacteria that were engineered to produce excess amounts of the protein being studied. The addition of a small molecule or inducer to the bacteria stimulated production of the protein.

“The inducer causes the bacteria to make a lot of protein,” she says. “We kept repeating this process until we felt the protein was pure enough to do studies on.”

With sufficient protein on hand, Wagner stabilized it and conducted analysis with spectroscopy. The goal was to find an environment for the protein so it could be kept for longer periods of time.

Proteins are unique molecules,” says Gindt. “They are extremely fragile and sensitive to the environment. Stacey learned how to work with delicate systems. She already had a relatively good background in general theory, but this was her opportunity to put the theory into practice. She used a combination of techniques and concepts covered in the classroom along with some specialized material that a student wouldn’t normally see until graduate school. More importantly, she learned how to systematically solve a problem where the answer is not known.”

The research was part of a larger project in collaboration with the chemistry department at New York University. “We are providing both purified enzyme and biochemical expertise,” says Gindt. “The NYU spectroscopists have run into some problems using the enzyme, and we are attempting to solve their problems.”

Gindt worked very closely with Wagner on both the purification procedure and the stability studies. “She displays both the work ethic and scientific curiosity that I always hope to find in the best chemistry students,” says Gindt.

Previously, Wagner worked on EXCEL research that resulted in papers co-authored with Joseph A. Sherma, professor emeritus of chemistry.
“I’ve done a lot of research with Dr. Sherma and I enjoyed that research and wanted to try something more in biochemistry,” says Wagner. “Protein preparation takes a long time because there are so many different elements. I really enjoyed doing this project and encourage other students to get involved. I don’t think other schools offer this and it gives you a good idea of what you might want to do in the future.”

Wagner is a resident advisor, vice president of College Republicans, and a member of the ski racing team. She also belongs to the Alternative School Break Club and will travel with a team to a location just outside Budapest, Hungary, in May to work with a Habitat for Humanity affiliate on home construction for low-income families.

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Ramsey’s project is also part of a larger collaboration with Johannes Schelvis, assistant professor of chemistry at NYU, who is using resonance Raman spectroscopy to study the interactions between damaged DNA and DNA photolyase, a protein that repairs the damage on the DNA.

“He is trying to understand how the protein recognizes that the damage happens,” Gindt explains. “Unfortunately, the protein contains a colored molecule (chromophore) that interferes with his studies. We know that the chromophore is not important to the repair process, so Meghan’s project has been to figure out how to get rid of the chromophore without hurting the remaining protein. The project has been very successful; she found she could use a combination of intense light and chemicals to remove the chromophore without significant damage. The Schelvis lab has been very happy with the samples she has prepared.”

Ramsey has shown great scientific curiosity, notes Gindt.

“If she doesn’t have a class that forces her to leave the lab, I have to tell her to go home because the research will be there tomorrow,” says Gindt. “She is almost totally independent in the laboratory, though we do plan experiments together. I know she is planning on attending medical school, but I think she would make an important contribution as a scientist.”

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Connell has been examining protein folding mechanisms and how a protein forms into its particular shape.

“I am working with a particular protein, trying to understand how it forms its quaternary structure,” says Connell. “We are treating it with a hydrophobic dye. The protein emits florescence when you excite it and hopefully, by examining this florescence, we can analyze the kinetics of how it moves and forms its quaternary structure.”

Gindt says, “Large protein molecules fold very fast into their active shapes considering the number of possible conformations. We are trying to understand what forces drive the process. Katelyn has one manageable project that fits into a larger picture.”

“It took a long time to do the protein prep work and to isolate the protein,” says Connell. “I’ve laid the groundwork and now I’ll be working on understanding the folding mechanisms and how it forms into its particular shape.”

Connell’s first research experience, the project began during the January interim session between semesters. “I liked the intensity of doing this all day,” she says. “I have a lot to learn, but it’s something that I’m interested in. It’s a great opportunity to be exposed to different techniques. It’s not like the classroom; it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before. It’s real hands-on experience.”

Gindt says that Connell is self-motivated and a good student — two attributes that will be useful in her future.
Connell is treasurer and a rower on the crew team, which practices five to six times a week and rows on the Lehigh River.

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Raibeck began working on two computer-simulation projects during the January interim session between semesters and is continuing this spring.

In the first project, Raibeck examined the onset of oscillation in certain chemical reactions. “I was looking at different starting conditions and different rates to see which would actually cause oscillation,” she says.

Haug says such research can help scientists understand a number of “real-world” events, including the biology that keeps human hearts beating regularly.

Raibeck is currently exploring how hydrogen affects the smoothness of nickel surfaces — work that has applications in the manufacture of semiconductor and magnetic devices.

“I have an affinity for computer programs,” she says simply.

Haug says Raibeck excels both “from the scientific end and the computational and visual graphics end. She’s been a very quick study in terms of these projects. And, she’s been very diligent about carrying out her work.”

Raibeck worked on an environmental management system for Blue Ridge Pressure Castings, Lehighton, Pa., two summers ago. In January, she participated in Lafayette’s alumni externship program, shadowing Richard Coleman ’71, an environmental chemist at HawkMtn labs, West Hazleton, an independent laboratory specializing in a variety of environmental testing and related services.

She is a member of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She also is program director of WJRH (campus radio station) and plays trumpet in the Pep Band.

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In an independent study, Fazen is investigating a nonbiological model for cell membranes to provide a better picture of how pharmaceutical drugs interact with the human body without the need for extensive animal and human testing, Wysocki explains. The reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) technique that he is using is widely implemented in the pharmaceutical industry, so it could be easily transferred if it does work as a nonbiological model.

“The technology is already there, so it wouldn’t require the purchase of new equipment or doing anything significantly different,” she says. “It would require minimal input in terms of time and money.’

There are two phases in RPLC: a stationary one and a mobile liquid that flows through it. Fazen is doing a great job with the new stationary phase he synthesized last semester to more easily model a cell membrane, says Wysocki. He is now comparing his stationary phase to the traditional RPLC stationary phase.

“Chris has really taken this project as his own this semester and is working completely independently, suggesting the next step in his research and actively discussing his results,” adds Wysocki. “Chris has developed into a fine chemist and I think that he will have a great career ahead of him once he graduates this May. It is refreshing to work with a student who is excited about research, and who initiates ideas and follows through on them while working independently in the lab.”