Research team leaders for 2008
Dr. Kurt Birdwhistell Email:birdwhis@loyno.edu Website: http://www.loyno.edu/~birdwhis/ Team research focus: We will use a modern synthetic microwave system to devise new syntheses of organic and inorganic molecules. These syntheses will adhere to the principles of green chemistry and lead to an alternate “green” synthetic pathway for pollution prevention. These new syntheses will provide a pathway to a sustainable chemical manufacturing system in the United States in the future. |
||
 |
 |
|
Dr. Don Hauber Email: hauber@loyno.edu Website: http://loyno.edu/~hauber/ Team research focus: We will employ conventional protocols for sampling natural populations, extracting DNA and amplifying molecular markers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products will then be evaluated on a LICOR sequencer recently acquired through a grant to the science departments. A major focus will be developing and refining protocols for using the LICOR sequencer to study microsatellite markers. |
||
 |
 |
|
Dr. Thom Spence Email: tgspence@loyno.edu Website:http://cas.loyno.edu/~tgspence/ Team research focus: This research will focus on the synthesis and analysis of transition-metal complexes. During this project, several inorganic cobalt complexes with be synthesized in the laboratory and then analyzed by a variety of techniques including traditional wet-chemistry and spectroscopic techniques and, most importantly, calorimetric and thermogravimetric techniques. These techniques follow the change in mass and variations in heat flow as a sample is heated from room temperature to well above its decomposition temperature. It is hoped that these techniques will provide both qualitative identification, and quantification of the various compounds. If time is available at the end of the project, we may also employ differential scanning calorimetry to analyze polymers synthesized in the lab. |
||
Dr. Bill Walkenhorst Email: walken@loyno.edu Website: http://cas.loyno.edu/chemistry/wfwpage.htm Team research focus: Research in Dr. Walkenhorst's lab will involve testing the effects of ionic strength, pH, and other factors on the effectiveness of membrane antibiotic peptides against several species of bacteria and fungi. Students will learn general biochemistry laboratory skills as well as protein purification and microbiology techniques. |
||