Category Archives: Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Three elected to the National Academy of Sciences – Northwestern Now

Joining the company of some of historys most distinguished scientists, three Northwestern faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Timothy K. Earle, Teri W. Odom and Richard B. Silverman have been recognized for their excellence and notable contributions to their field of science. They are among the 120 new members and 23 new international members selected this year.

Timothy K. Earle

Earle, professor emeritus in the department of anthropology, also previously served as department chair from 1995 to 2000. An economic anthropologist, Earles research is anchored by topics of social inequality, leadership and political economy with a proclivity for finding alternatives to centralized power. His quests to answer this have led him to conduct long-term archaeological research in Polynesia, South America and Europe to understand overlapping economic, warrior and religious powers in political organizations of premodern societies.

Earle has published many works including A Primer on Chiefs and Chiefdoms, Bronze Age Economics, and The Evolution of Human Societies: From Forager Group to Agrarian State.

Over the course of his career, Earles honors include the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of American Archaeology, the 2020 Felix Neubergh Prize in Archaeology from Gothenburg University, as well as being honored during the 2010 American Anthropological Society Annual Meeting.

Teri W. Odom

Odom is chair of the chemistry department, the Joan Husting Madden and William H. Madden, Jr. Professor of Chemistry and a professor of materials science and engineering. She is an expert in designing structured nanoscale materials with extraordinary size- and shape-dependent properties. These nanoscale materials have been applied to advances in nanomedicine, imaging, and nanophotonics.

Odoms NAS election follows numerous awards including the 2020 Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize, the 2020 American Chemical Society Award in Surface Science, and the 2018 Research Corporation for Science Advancement Cottrell Scholar TREE Award.

Odom has also co-authored various notable publications including Multiscale Patterning of Plasmonic Metamaterials, Direct Observation of Nanoparticle-Cancer Cell Nucleus Interactions, and Lasing Action in Strongly Coupled Plasmonic Nanocavity Arrays.

Richard B. Silverman

The inaugural Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor in the chemistry department, Silverman focuses his research on central nervous system disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and epilepsy, and on cancer, including melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, with the goal of developing pharmaceutical therapies.

He is the inventor of Lyrica, a breakthrough drug marketed by Pfizer for epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain, as well as another drug treating a child with infantile spasms, a third drug in clinical trials for tuberous sclerosis and infantile spasms, and a fourth drug in IND review for ALS.

A highly decorated scientist, Silverman has earned numerous accolades such as the 2021 Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and multiple awards from the American Chemical Society.

He has also authored and co-authored five significant books in his field, including The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action, now in its third edition, The Organic Chemistry of Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions, and Mechanism-Based Enzyme Inactivation: Chemistry and Enzymology.

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Three elected to the National Academy of Sciences - Northwestern Now

Organic Chemistry

Falling in Love with Chemistry – News – Macalester College

By Catherine Kane 26

Richmond Sarpong came to Macalester from Botswana in 1991 on a pre-medicine track. That didnt last long.

I fell in love with chemistry, he says.

Sarpong switched his major to chemistry and continued down that path, taking a particular interest in organic chemistry. Now a chemistry professor at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Sarpong came back to campus in February to reflect on his journey and current work with a lecture made possible by a Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions grant.

He spoke about his upbringing, time at Macalester, and scholarship at UCBerkeley, particularly his research into creating less addictive painkillers using compounds inspired by others found in the natural world, to a packed audience in Kagin Ballroom.

At Berkeley, his lab conducts research on natural compounds that can be used in drug development. The research we do is focused on how we can improve the way in which we make medicines, Sarpong says. About 50 percent of medicines are inspired by natural products, which are chemical compounds that are found in nature.

Sarpongs fascination with medicine, and later using chemistry to improve health outcomes, comes from his childhood in Sub-Saharan Africa. He saw the impact of Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, on communities he was living in to treat river blindness. Coming to Macalester, he learned how such drugs are made using chemical processes.

To me, molecules are like architectural masterpieces, he says.

With a newfound passion for organic chemistry, Sarpong continued on to Princeton where he earned a PhD in organic chemistry and became a professor at UCBerkeley in 2004. Sarpong said his time at Macalester uniquely prepared him to enter the world of research.

Macalester provided me with a personal infrastructure to learn how to learn, he says. It also gave me this appreciation for diversity, internationalism, and having a global mindset, which I think has been important in my role as a chemistry professor. Macalester gave me the ability to engage, interact, and find common ground with people from all sorts of different cultures and countries.

His two days on campus were funded by a grant the Chemistry Department received from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The grant provides funding to host a speaker and support two undergraduates in summer research.

During his visit, he reflected on the promise of the students he met: The future passes squarely through Macalester.

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Falling in Love with Chemistry - News - Macalester College

Organic Chemistry

4 faculty members inducted into National Academy of Sciences for … – UCLA Newsroom

Four UCLA professors are among the 120 newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences,which also chose 23 new international members for 2023.

One of the highest honors a scientist can achieve, academy membership celebrates ongoing illustrious original research. The UCLA faculty members who were honored this year are Miguel Garca-Garibay, Leonid Kruglyak, Gary Segura and Min Zhou.

Distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry

Garca-Garibay, who serves as dean of the UCLA College Division of Physical Sciences and senior dean of the UCLA College, is one of the worlds foremost authorities in reactive intermediates, solid-state organic chemistry, photochemistry, green chemistry and crystalline molecular machines. In addition to serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry and Crystal Growth & Design, he was an associate editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society for nine years. Garca-Garibay completed two terms in the Chemical Sciences Roundtable of the National Academies, has been named a fellow of theAmerican Chemical Society,and is a member of theMexican Academy of Sciencesand theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dillervon Furstenberg Family Professor of Human GeneticsDistinguished professor of human genetics and biological chemistry

Kruglyak studies the genetic basis of heritable traits to understand how changes at the level of DNA are shaped by molecular and evolutionary forces, and how such changes lead to the observable differences among individuals within a species. AHoward Hughes Medical Institute investigatorand member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences, he also serves on the board of reviewing editors at Science magazine, the editorial board of PLoS Genetics, the advisory board of bioRxiv and the scientific advisory council for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories.

Professor of public policy, political science and Chicana/o studies

Segura examines issues of political representation and social cleavages, the domestic politics of wartime public opinion and the politics of Americas growing Latino minority. In addition to briefing high-ranking political officials, he was one of the principal investigators of the American National Edition Studies in 2012 and 2016 as well as the Latino National Survey in 2006. During his tenure asdean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairsfrom 2017 to 2022, Segura co-founded theLatino Policy and Politics Initiative, which later became theLatino Policy & Politics Institute. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Walter and Shirley Wang Professor of U.S./China Relations and CommunicationsDistinguished professor of sociology and of Asian American studies

Zhous research includes acclaimed work on immigrant transnationalism, ethnic language media, Chinese diasporas and urban sociology. The inaugural chair of the UCLA Department of Asian American Studies from 2001 to 2005, Zhou has been the director of theUCLA Asia Pacific Centersince 2016. She is a member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences and the co-editor of the Journal of Chinese Overseas. Among her numerous previous awards are the2020 Contribution to the Field Awardand the2017 Distinguished Career Awardfrom the American Sociological Association.

Including the new honorees, there are now 2,565 active members of the academy, as well as 526 international members.

The academy was established by an Act of Congress signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863; it is a private, nonprofit society dedicated to furthering science in the U.S. and beyond. Its distinguished members are charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology.

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4 faculty members inducted into National Academy of Sciences for ... - UCLA Newsroom

Organic Chemistry

Both Global and U.S. Chemical Production Trended Higher in March – American Chemistry Council

WASHINGTON (May 4, 2023) According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) rose by 0.7% in March following a 0.2% increase in February. In the U.S., the U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) rose 2.6% in March. Both indices are measured on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis to reduce month-to-month volatility.

In the U.S., the 2.6% gain in March reflects a bump in chemical production that followed a tough Q4. Producers were challenged at the end of the year by customer destocking and winter-weather related disruptions, she added.

Global Chemical Production by Country/Region, Percentage Change(Seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving average)

Global Chemical Production by Segment, Percentage Change(Seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving average)

The Global CPRI measures the production volume of the chemical industry for 55 key nations, sub-regions, and regions, all aggregated to the world total. While most data are seasonally adjusted at source, some are adjusted using the U.S. Census Bureaus X-12 model to present data comparable to the United States. In a few cases, ACC creates indices of production based on actual production data weighted according to industry structure. The index uses the total value added as a proxy for individual country weights to arrive at the total. This method accounts for the changes in each countrys share relative to global production, which is more reflective of ever-changing global production dynamics.

The Global CPRI measures production activity generally consistent with the overall industry nomenclature of NAICS 325 (less pharmaceuticals) and the EU NACE 20 industries. The index measures the production of soaps and detergents, personal care products, fertilizers, and other downstream products in addition to measuring inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, plastic resins, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, adhesives and sealants, coatings, and other specialty chemicals. Production of pharmaceuticals is excluded.

U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index, Percentage Change(Seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving average)

The U.S. CPRI was developed to track chemical production activity in seven regions of the United States. The U.S. CPRI is based on information from the Federal Reserve, and as such, includes monthly revisions as published by the Federal Reserve.

The U.S. CPRI includes the most recent Federal Reserve benchmark revision released on March 28, 2023. To smooth month-to-month fluctuations, the U.S. CPRI is measured using a three-month moving average. The reading in March reflects production activity during January, February, and March.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in themultibillion-dollarbusiness of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products, technologies and services that make people's lives better, healthierandsafer.ACC is committed to improved environmental, health, safety and security performance through Responsible Care; common sense advocacy addressing major public policy issues; and health and environmental research and product testing. ACC members and chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development, and areadvancing products, processes and technologies to address climate change, enhance air and water quality, and progress toward a more sustainable, circular economy.

Stay up-to-date and engaged with the latest industry-related news.

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Both Global and U.S. Chemical Production Trended Higher in March - American Chemistry Council

Organic Chemistry

What Does This Asteroid Mean for Origin of Life? – Discovery Institute

Photo: Asteroid Ryugu, by Stuart Rankin, via Flickr (cropped).

Recently, chemical composition data were obtained from samples retrieved by theJapanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 that was landed in two locations on the asteroid (162173) Ryugu. In December 2020 Hayabusa2 successfully returned to Earth with its precious pristine samples, uncontaminated by residues from Earth (except maybe some metallic material originating from the collection device). Published inScience, early analysis of organic compounds extracted from the collected samples included significantly racemic mixtures of several amino acids, indicating that these samples were relatively free of Earthly contamination from biopolymers.1(All proteins in life are made of racemically pure L-amino acids.) Prior analysis of meteorites could not boast of such purity uncontaminated by Earths biological products.

Therefore, these Ryugu samples appear to be our first chance to examine which organic compounds may be produced in a prebiotic setting in our solar system. In addition, we dont have to rely on uncertain estimates of the conditions on Earth when the solar system was forming. Asteroids containing significant amounts of carbon, never visited by extraterrestrials like us, may provide a reasonable idea of what abiotic chemistry can produce.

A recent article inNature Communicationsreported that uracil, one of the nucleobases found in RNA, was identified in these pristine Ryugu samples.2For those who place their bets on the RNA world hypothesis, this is a significant finding, at least in their opinion. They finally have evidence that at least one of the nucleobases of RNA has been discovered outside of Earth, thus, they say, upholding the notion that our biochemistry could have been seeded from outer space!AsLive Sciencesummarizes, After becoming trapped on asteroids like Ryugu, these molecules may have eventually hitched a ride to Earth via meteorite impacts, where they sparked the first stirrings of life in primordial oceans.

This may be our earliest chance to remark on valid data of prebiotic chemicals free of Earthly contamination. So it would be logical to consider first the initial chemical analysis described inScienceto broadly classify all organic compounds, identified using two sensitive analytical methods. Concerning the building blocks of life, they found several amino acids, but all in racemic mixtures. This is precisely what chemists predict. It is extremely difficult to produce optically pure compounds from smaller compounds. The chemistry of mirror-imaged compounds is exactly the same, differing only in the spatial orientation of covalently bonded atoms (analogous to your right and left hands being equivalent). Life only uses one of these chemical forms to make proteins, RNA, DNA, complex carbohydrates and many lipids.

On Ryugu just some of the simplest amino acids were detected, including glycine, D/L-alanine, D/L-serine, and D/L-valine, along with other amino acids not used to build proteins (Fig. 1). These results agree well with the earlier experiments by Stanley Miller and others where simple organic structures were readily produced in prebiotic simulations. However, over eight amino acids with more complex critical functional groups have still not resulted among the various permutations of prebiotic reactions tested. Its not just dealing with racemic mixtures that confounds the supporters of abiogenesis, but how to form those more elaborate amino acids whose side chains play critical roles in the activity and structure of all proteins.

The chemical analysis also reported thousands of organic compounds, classified in multiple groups, that may or may not be found in the context of living organisms. If a primordial soup were to originate from this mixture, any biomolecules would have to contend with a myriad of possible side reactions with a variety of reactive compounds competing for the rights to produce a biopolymer. Would the situation be different if the asteroid material were to simply seed the Earth with these needed building blocks? The competing contaminants still far outnumber the biologically relevant molecules.

Lets consider whether the prospects are better if we take the RNA route. Uracil was clearly identified from Ryugu. The engineering threshold to form nucleotides, the building blocks for RNA, is much higher than that for proteins. The core unit to which nucleobases and phosphate are bound is the 5-carbon sugar D-ribose. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how carbohydrates may have originated in an abiotic environment.3The challenges to integrate D-ribose into nucleotides abiotically can be summarized as three major chemical barriers. 1) Abiotic production of five-carbon sugars will yield four chemically equivalent stereoisomers in both the D and L forms, thus resulting in eight stereoisomers at approximately equal levels (Fig. 2A). How does D-ribose get selected through random chemistry without even considering that longer chain sugars will also be present? 2) Ribose can interconvert from an open-chain form to a six-membered ring structure (pyranose form) or to a five-membered ring (furanose), both of which present as alpha and beta configurations at carbon 1 (Fig. 2B). At equilibrium the pyranose form comprises 80 percent while the furanose form is 20 percent of the ribose. RNA uses the furanose form, so how does this minor component win out in any abiotic reactions? 3) Nitrogen at position 1 of uracil needs to be bonded with carbon 1 of D-ribose in a beta configuration through a thermodynamically unfavored reaction. How can this reaction occur abiotically?

While the first two conundrums are most often sidestepped by those upholding the RNA-world philosophy, the latter reaction is not an impossible task so we will consider how life manages this feat. Most cells can salvage RNA or DNA building blocks normally obtained nutritionally following digestion. The liberated nucleobases can be coupled using D-ribose charged with a pyrophosphate group at carbon 1 in the alpha configuration. Notice the specificity life uses where neither the beta configuration nor the pyranose ring form will work for this reaction. This substrate permits a specifically oriented approach by the appropriate nitrogen of the nucleobase, directed completely by the respective enzyme, to effect displacement of pyrophosphate. This results in the nucleobase bonding to carbon 1 in the beta configuration (Fig. 2C). The release of pyrophosphate fulfills the thermodynamic requirements of this elaborate reaction.

Attempts have been made to carry out this reaction under purportedly abiotic conditions. These efforts led to some ingenious planning to devise new chemical synthetic schemes involving electrospray of microdroplets containing D-ribose, phosphate, and nucleobases.4Researchers provide evidence proposing how the microdroplets might make this reaction more thermodynamically favored. Its feasible for all four nucleotides to be made via this route.

But this report did not address the other serious concerns already discussed. They used pure D-ribose, not a mixture of sugars as would be expected prebiotically, and minimally not D/L-ribose. The alpha/beta configuration of the products, or their ring structures, were not indicated (most likely resulting in mixtures of all possible products). It thus becomes difficult to evaluate the relevance of this reaction to producing biologically viable RNA building blocks. Finally, the yields of desired products by this mechanism were low, at 2.5 percent or less. While the attempt to produce RNA building blocks via an abiotic mechanism is to be applauded, this still falls far short of what life needs to get started from the complex mixture of organic compounds present in a prebiotic world.

Readers are encouraged to investigate further to more fully understand the difficult issues involved in forming life using undirected organic chemistry alone. Chemist Dr. James Tour at Rice University, for one, has addressed abiogenesis including in discussions on hisYouTube channel. See also his chapter in the freely downloadable bookScience and Faith in Dialogue.

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What Does This Asteroid Mean for Origin of Life? - Discovery Institute

Organic Chemistry

Science-First Skincare Company Michal Morrison Secures Exclusive World-Wide License of Proprietary STEM6 Molecule, Supported by Over 25 Years of…

AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Science-first skincare companyMichal Morrison Inc., has officially received an exclusive world-wide license to use the revolutionary STEM6 molecular technology in skincare.

Michal Morrison

STEM6, a new superpower metamolecule , marks a new era of biomimetic skincare. A scientific breakthrough in the beauty industry, STEM6 is a new composition of matter that supports the skin's stem cell signaling pathway to awaken the millions of cells responsible for healthy-looking skin. As a result, skin is healthier, more radiant, and visibly rejuvenated.

Based on 25 years of stem cell science, the exclusive STEM6 technology was discovered by Dr. Fuqiang Ruan, an innovative scientist with a doctorate in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, and stem cell scientist Dr. Michael Kahn, Professor of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine at the Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope. Michal Morrison Inc. was founded by Austin-based entrepreneur Michal Ann Morrison. Michal's passion for a 'science first approach to skincare' became her inspiration to create a product with novel technology and unparalleled efficacy.

Genesis Molecular Technologies Inc., an affiliate organization of Michal Morrison Inc, received the notice of allowance (NOA) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office on March 7, 2023. The patent relates generally to modulation of the Wnt/-catenin pathway in mammalian cells and tissues, and more particularly to novel CREB binding protein (CBP)/-catenin inhibitors and the cosmetic, and therapeutic uses thereof (e.g., in dermatological applications for skin, hair and nails), and methods of making the disclosed exemplary compounds.

Michal Morrison's inaugural hero product, Genesis STEM6 Molecular Serum, is the first and only bioserum with the patented STEM6 molecule. This molecular superpower uses your biology's inherent potential to extend cell longevity for healthier-looking skin.

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The STEM6 molecule is exclusively available in Michal Morrison products. Genesis STEM6 Molecular Serum is available in a premium recyclable glass bottle onMichalMorrison.com for $175, or for $140 through a two-month subscription program.

For additional information and interview requests please contact:Creative Media Marketing at michalmorrison@cmmpr.com

ABOUT MICHAL MORRISON, INC.: Michal Morrison, Inc. is a science-first skincare company established in stem cell science and supported by its novel STEM6 molecular technology. Founded by Michal Morrison in 2022, the company will premiere the first and only bioserum with the STEM6 molecule - Genesis STEM6Molecular Serum. Michal Morrison products are available online atwww.michalmorrison.com.

Michal Morrison

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Science-First Skincare Company Michal Morrison Secures Exclusive World-Wide License of Proprietary STEM6 Molecule, Supported by Over 25 Years of...

Organic Chemistry

Tetrahydrocanniboic Acid (THCA): Legal Until You Heat It, Maybe – American Council on Science and Health

Nowhere is the silliness of our drug laws more evident than in the case oftetrahydrocannabinolicacid (THCA). The chemical, one of about a dozen found in hemp and marijuana, has no psychotropic activity, so it's legal, right?

Yes. Also no. And maybe. Hope that was helpful.

These are all correct, thanks to the tortuous, often conflicting, labyrinth of arbitrary laws that make up the mess that is called (but maybe not with a straight face) our "drug policy." There really isn't any semblance of policy regulating marijuana products. It's more like a dart board with the numbers missing, something I'll be writing about at a later date. Here's a tease.

Yeah, thisreally clears things up. Source: VIAA Hemp

THC

THC is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary intoxicant of cannabis. It remains classified as Schedule I by the geniuses at the DEA, the same category as heroin and illicit fentanyl. [Emphasis mine]

Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote.

Source: DEA Drug Scheduling

Seriously? Marijuana is in the same category as heroin? In what universe does this make sense?

Since state laws are all over the place I'm not going to try to make "sense" of them but feel free to do so yourself...

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures.As of April 2023

THCA(Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)

Rather than getting bogged down in that mess, I'm going to discuss one cannabis component that is of particular interest:Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. Why is it interesting? Three reasons:

"[A]controlled substance analogue is a substance which is intended for human consumption and is structurally or pharmacologically substantially similar to or is represented as being similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II substance.."

Source: DEA Drug Scheduling

Be forewarned. It's time for...

Decarboxylation of-ketoacids(masochists only, please)

Usually, when you heat things, including most chemicals,they just get hot. But not in this case.

Decarboxylation oftetrahydrocanniboicacid forms 9-delta-THC

When THCA is heated, for example in hell, the carboxylic acid (yellow arrow), breaks down, losingCO2, andleaving in its place a hydrogen atom. This is a well-known reaction in organic chemistry, which is called thedecarboxylation of a-ketoacid a fact that will be thoroughlyuseless in your life, no matter how long you live. Here's the standard example:

OK, that's just peachy, but if you look at the structure of THCAthere isn't any -keto acid, right? So how can heating the damn stuff make it turn into THC??

Just another reason why people hate organic chemistry

Organic chemistry is simply a set of rules. Once you learn them you've got it down, right? No. Not right. This is because there are rules about rules, some of which are obvious. Many are not. Here's one that isn't.

But before you look, please remove the following items from your home so you won't be tempted to use them.

Don't say I didn't warn you.For crazy bastardsanyonewho made it this far...

Phenol (left) can exist in two forms interchangeable forms.Theenol form (left) predominates, but there is also a teensy bit ofketo form (left) in there too, which just happens to be a -keto acid. This explains why THCAcan undergo decarboxylation when heated.

THCA in its enol and keto forms. Note that the keto form is a poorly-disguised beta-keto acid, which means that it loses carbon dioxide upon heating. It does, giving the keto form of THC, which immediately rearranges to THC.

This mercifully ends The Dreaded Chemistry Lesson From Hell. I doubt many of you are mourning this development, but don't blame me. You asked. (1)

It might be time to break out the THCA. Just remember to heat it.

NOTE:

1) I'm not kidding. I do get requests from more than a few people to do these wretched articles. No accounting for taste. After all, some people love kale.

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Tetrahydrocanniboic Acid (THCA): Legal Until You Heat It, Maybe - American Council on Science and Health

Organic Chemistry

Fast evaluation of the adsorption energy of organic molecules on … – Nature.com

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UArizona will recognize seven outstanding graduating seniors at … – University of Arizona News

University Communications

Today

Seven graduating University of Arizona seniors will be honored during Commencement for their extraordinary accomplishments in the classroom and beyond.

The university's 159th Commencement ceremony will be held at Arizona Stadium on Friday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. A full schedule and more information about this year's ceremony are available on the Commencement website.

Nominated by faculty and peers, this year's seven student award winners were selected based on their determination, notable achievements and positive contributions to their families and communities.

Ryan Ellsworth is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in communication, with a minor in criminology. Originally from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Ellsworth received an associate degree in liberal arts from Pima Community College before attending UArizona.

Raised among military veterans, Ellsworth said he has always wanted to serve his country for a purpose greater than himself. He is deeply involved in the Air Force ROTC program, which helps students earn a degree and commission as officers in the Air Force. He also works full time for Campus Recreation. Thanks to his busy schedule, Ellsworth often wakes up at 4 a.m. for ROTC events, to complete schoolwork throughout the day, and go to work.

Ellsworth is a recipient of the Air Force In-College Scholarship and received Air Force ROTC honor and warrior awards. He also was named Cadet of the Semester in fall 2019.

Following graduation, Ellsworth will attend combat systems officer training in Pensacola, Florida, and intends to pursue a master's degree.

Jessica Plaza Rodrguez is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in family studies and human development and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with an emphasis in Hispanic literature. Originally from Mexico City, Plaza Rodrguez moved to Tucson five years ago to reunite with her family and find better opportunities.

As a first-generation student and immigrant, Plaza Rodrguez had to learn a new language and understand a new culture, and she faced other barriers when she arrived at the university. During her time at UArizona, she worked for the Immigrant Student Resource Center, helping fellow students with immigrant backgrounds navigate the university and developing communication strategies to ensure those who needed the center's services could find and access them. Plaza Rodrguez has interned for the Colibr Center for Human Rights, supporting a campaign called "Cuntos Ms?" that raised funds for DNA kits to help identify and honor those who have died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Plaza Rodrguez now works at the YWCA as a program coordinator, helping facilitate programs and provide resources for people of Latin American descent. She is also a research assistant and translator for a project called AZHEALTHTXT, a bilingual health information-sharing platform led by the UArizona Center for Rural Health.

Plaza Rodrguez has been honored with several scholarships and awards, including a Wildcat Distinction Award and the Ruth Reed Cowden Scholarship. She was also named to the Dean's List with Distinction. After graduation, Plaza Rodrguez is interested in attending law school and becoming an immigration attorney.

Mikah Wesley Rosanova is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in law, with minors in music and gender and women's studies. Rosanova, who uses the pronoun they, is from Flagstaff.

During their time at the University of Arizona, Rosanova has focused on helping and finding opportunities for students with marginalized backgrounds and identities. As a lead resident assistant, Rosanova encouraged first-year students to become engaged and invested in their well-being and advocated for LGBTQ+ residents, working with the UArizona LGBTQ+ Resource Center and Housing and Residential Life to improve programming, resources and education. As a PATH mentor, Rosanova supported first-year students in the W.A. Franke Honors College and contributed to the college's equity initiatives.

Rosanova completed several creative writing independent studies, as well as a first-year project focused on lived experience with hormone replacement therapy. Rosanova participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium's Summer Research Institute, working with Suzanne Dovi, a professor in the School of Government and Public Policy, to investigate the effects of transphobia and misogyny on research practices. Rosanova's honors thesis focuses on gender non-conforming communities and trans-competent research practices.

Rosanova was named to the Dean's List with Distinction and has received several awards, including the David G. Hastings B.A. in Law Scholarship, the Wildcat Distinction Award and Returning Resident Assistant of the Year. Following graduation, Rosanova plans to pursue a doctorate in political theory and gender studies, with plans to work with nonprofit organizations that support marginalized communities.

Kristijan Barnjak is graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics, economics and law, a Bachelor of Arts in economics, and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy with an emphasis in ethics. Barnjak was raised in Seaford, New York.

Barnjak found community at St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center, on the university's campus, during his freshman year, and eventually became a student minister and served on the center's outreach committee. Barnjak joined the Daily Wildcat news desk in spring 2020 as a reporter covering the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and the university's efforts to mitigate COVID-19. He later served as news editor and copy editor and was appointed editor-in-chief during the fall 2022 semester. Barnjak has been a resident assistant at rbol de la Vida dorm since fall 2021. He became a lead resident assistant his senior year and was inducted into Rho Alpha Sigma, a national honorary for resident assistants.

Barnjak's honors thesis focused on state anti-boycott laws passed in reaction to boycotts of the firearm and energy companies as part of corporate environmental, social and governance initiatives.

Barnjak was awarded the Gerald J. Swanson Endowed Scholarship for Undergraduate Excellence in Economics his junior and senior years. He received the Ancient Greek Language Summer Scholarship from the Department of Religious Studies and Classics to study ancient Greek during summer 2021. Barnjak will attend law school following graduation and hopes to work as an antitrust attorney for the Department of Justice.

Hillary Schiff is graduating summa cum laude with honors with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and a Bachelor of Arts in French. She was born in Australia and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Interested in a career in science, Schiff began researching allergic asthma drug development in the lab of Scott Boitano, a professor in the College of Medicine Tucson, in the spring of her first year. The work resulted in published research, on which Schiff was the lead author, and served as the basis of her honors thesis. Schiff also has a passion for mentorship and communication. During her sophomore year, she became a general chemistry preceptor as well as a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry peer mentor. She also worked as a news reporter for the Daily Wildcat.

Schiff's decision to pursue medicine was shaped by her experiences volunteering in the Tucson community. Initially inspired by witnessing her grandmother's health struggles, she continues to see her grandmother in the patients she serves. Schiff spends her Sundays volunteering at the WORKship project at Z Mansion, an outreach program serving the local population experiencing homelessness. Through the Patient Experience Internship Program, part of the university's A Center, she also volunteered at Banner University Medical Center Tucson, working alongside health care professionals to ensure patient comfort.

Schiff is a recipient of the Galileo Circle Scholarship and was named to the Dean's List with Distinction. Following graduation, Schiff will pursue a medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Vanessa Addison is graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. She is passionate about biomedical science and health education and wants to spend her career increasing health literacy and providing aid to medically underserved communities.

Driven by her love for science and service, Addison interned as a first-year student with the Fight4HER campaign to advocate on Capitol Hill for affordable health. She volunteers regularly at the Sister Jose Women's Homeless Shelter and started a social media campaign to raise awareness about the homeless crisis in Tucson. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Addison served as an EMT to help vaccinate students and Tucson residents. She also worked in an addiction rehabilitation clinic.

In 2021, Addison began researching in the lab of Ross Buchan, associate professor of molecular and cellular biology. Her efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis served as the basis of her honors thesis, several award-winning posters, two research grants and contributions to a scientific publication. She is committed to enhancing inclusivity in science, technology, engineering and math and has served as a preceptor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry ambassador, peer mentor, organic chemistry tutor and a tutor at the university's SALT Center.

Addison is the 2023 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Outstanding Senior and has been honored with the Ronald Gonzalez Wildcat Spirit Award, Michael A. Wells Scholarship, Arizona Distinction Award, Highest Academic Distinction, Warner Scholarship, Black and Kletz Scholarship, and a Franke Honors Research Endowment. She was crowned the 2022 Homecoming queen. Addison will attend medical school in the fall.

Elizabeth Grace Hala'ufia is graduating summa cum laude with honors with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and cognitive science and a minor in biochemistry. Born in Marana, Hala'ufia is a track and field student-athlete.

Hala'ufia is a 2019 alumna of the UArizona BIO5 Institute KEYS Summer Research Program, which gives high school students opportunities to work in labs with university bioscience researchers. Working alongside Daniela Zarnescu, a former UArizona faculty member who studies neurodegeneration, Hala'ufia contributed to research on modeling dementia-relevant phenotypes in fruit flies. Hala'ufia also spent a summer at Johns Hopkins University testing several viruses' abilities to treat autism spectrum disorder. She now works in the lab of Arthur Riegel, an associate professor of pharmacology.

Hala'ufia has also worked as supplemental instruction leader in organic chemistry and physics as part of the THINK TANK's Supplemental Instruction program, which lets students help their peers in difficult courses. She has also offered been a preceptor for biochemistry and neurophysiology courses.

Hala'ufia has received the Marana Unified School District 2340 Scholarship, Wildcat Distinction Award, Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative Fellowship, Maximizing Access to Research Careers Training Award and Pac-12 All-Academic Honors. Hala'ufia will pursue a doctorate in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, with the goal of conducting neurological disease research that leads to life-saving therapies.

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Organic Chemistry

Bemidji State’s Matthew Fabian reflects on challenges, changes … – The Bemidji Pioneer

BEMIDJI No matter what happens in his life, Matthew Fabian is able to count his blessings.

Throughout seemingly impossible circumstances over the past three years, Fabian has never lost sight of his goals and on May 5, will accept his diploma from Bemidji State University having majored in chemistry.

This comes after he earned his degree in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology last spring with summa cum laude honors.

After graduation, he plans to make time for the simple things many people may take for granted.

As of right now, my summer plans are to start driving again, do some fishing, decompress and figure out the path and direction that I can be the most productive in, Fabian said.

Fabian came to BSU in 2018 after graduating from Pequot Lakes High School.

He had an initial interest in becoming a doctor, though his aspirations started changing at the tail end of his sophomore year at BSU. Fabian started developing headaches in mid-March 2020 right as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world.

It was about the time when all of the universities shut down and everybody had to move back home because of COVID, Fabian recalled. I thought at first (the headaches) were because of stress, moving back and transitioning to online classes. Finals happened and I thought, Well, thats just normal. Everybodys stressed during finals. But they kept getting worse and worse.

The headaches continued through July 2020 when Fabian started developing nausea. His mother brought him to the emergency room a week before he was meant to start classes for the fall 2020 semester and underwent a CT scan.

Fabian noted that as a baby, he had sagittal craniosynostosis, a condition that affects the skull.

There have been reports of people who were my age that had surgery as a baby to correct (the condition) having recurring head pain many years after the fact, he said.

However, nobody expected the CT scan results that would seemingly change the trajectory of Fabians college experience and life in general.

After the scan, the doctor came back into the room with big eyes saying the helicopter would be there in 15 minutes to bring me to St. Cloud as I had a mass on my brain stem and fourth ventricle.

Because of COVID restrictions, nobody could accompany Fabian to St. Cloud. I was airlifted for surgery that night without my parents, Fabian added.

Once in St. Cloud, doctors successfully removed Fabians brain tumor. However, he would experience a stroke the day after this surgery.

The surgery was a success, but from that, I suffered a stroke. Among other things, the stroke took away the ability for me to move my right side, swallow and I developed double vision, Fabian explained.

Around this time, doctors inserted an external ventricular drain to relieve pressure in hopes his brain could start absorbing fluids on its own. Days later, he would develop double-lunged pneumonia.

Fabian was soon on the rebound, however, as he rehabilitated in the hospital over the following three weeks. He started relearning how to walk around the time he was sent to Mayo Clinic to begin seven weeks of radiation treatment followed by six months of chemotherapy.

Because of changes in the MRIs and fear of relapse, I was scanned monthly for seven months, Fabian explained. Many scares, but all were determined to be markings from surgery and treatment.

Fabian earned the OK to return to BSU after he completed chemotherapy in April 2021. His return came with its own set of challenges as he recovered from the side effects of his treatments.

As the school year started, I had major chemo fog, fatigue and hearing loss from the chemo and processing, retention and learning struggles from brain trauma due to surgery, the stroke and treatment, he said. (It was) a very tough year with parts I dont even really remember.

With the support of BSUs biology and chemistry departments, however, Fabians return was a little bit easier to navigate.

They have gone over and above in helping me and understanding some of my struggles, even allowing me to take Zoom appointments with Mayo oncology doctors in their offices during school days, he added.

Fabian is currently scanned every three months and will remain on that schedule for the next couple of years. He will continue to be monitored throughout his life with check-ins from various doctors.

While it hasnt been easy, Fabian has remained active in campus life and demonstrated that he is more than whats happened to him.

He aided the BSU Trap Club during its inaugural invitational trap shoot in 2018 by shooting a 98 out of 100 in his first event, helping the club to secure its win against three other collegiate teams.

Fabian found success in a national trap shooting tournament in high school, as well.

As a team, our high school finished 19th in the nation, he detailed. As an individual, I finished in the top 400 in the nation.

Because of inner ear damage, he is unable to shoot but has been fulfilling a role with the club to ramp up its operations this past semester and potentially host tournaments once fall comes around.

Fabian is currently undecided in terms of a future career but has an interest in volunteering at his high school this summer. He was a teachers assistant for organic chemistry and anatomy and physiology classes at BSU, leading him to consider the teaching field as a potential career path.

He also builds fishing poles, a pastime he picked up from his dad who used to be a fishing guide.

In high school, I did that a little bit. When I was recovering, I couldnt do a whole lot else, Fabian said, so I really got into it then. Its really cool to catch a fish with a rod that you made.

With the summer to look forward to, he continues to navigate his new normal.

There are a lot of things that are different now, but slowly, Ive been learning to adapt and to do things differently, Fabian left off, to make things easier based on the new me.

Bemidji State will hold three graduation ceremonies at the Sanford Center on Friday, May 5, one for each college. Each ceremony is also available via livestream on BSU's social media pages.

A ceremony for the College of Arts, Education and Humanities will take place at 9 a.m. Graduates from the College of Business, Mathematics and Science will be recognized at noon. The College of Individual and Community Health will have its ceremony at 3 p.m.

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Bemidji State's Matthew Fabian reflects on challenges, changes ... - The Bemidji Pioneer