Eco-friendly molecule making

Do you want to do chemistry that is good and beautiful, green and clever? Do you want to be a legit molecule maker? Join us! We are developing eco-friendly reactions to rapidly create organic molecules in surprising ways: new bonds, new rings, and more! Some of our targets have relevance to medicinal chemistry. Projects may include collaborations with process chemists at a pharmaceutical company or with biologists at a local university. 

Essay prompt (please address the following in 1-2 paragraphs):

  1. What interests you in the project? Include a question or two about this research article and/or this one.
  2. What experience do you have with organic chemistry, laboratory research, or scientific writing?
  3. What do you hope to get out of this research experience? What are your career goals?
Name of research group, project, or lab
Vosburg lab
Why join this research group or lab?

You will get to be part of a fun research group, planning research strategies, learning new lab techniques, making brand-new molecules, characterizing your products with a variety of instrumental methods (NMR, IR, MS, TLC, UV-Vis, possibly X-ray), and communicating your results informally and formally. It is very good preparation for graduate school or similar endeavors. You may also get to collaborate with industrial chemists or biologists, present your work at a conference, and/or contribute to a journal publication!

Representative publication
Logistics Information:
Project categories
Chemistry
Molecular Design
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainability
Student ranks applicable
First-year
Sophomore
Junior
Student qualifications

Experience with organic chemistry is helpful but not required. Interest, enthusiasm, persistence, a cheerful attitude, and good teamwork are important for the whole team.

Time commitment
Summer - Full Time
Compensation
Paid Research
Number of openings
3
Techniques learned

Student researchers will learn to search the scientific literature, plan experiments, speak the language of chemistry, draw molecular structures, perform reactions, purify products, and analyze compounds by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), mass spectrometry (MS), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It is also possible to get significant experience in scientific writing.

Project start
May 27
Contact Information:
Mentor
vosburg@hmc.edu
Principal Investigator
Name of project director or principal investigator
David Vosburg
Email address of project director or principal investigator
vosburg@g.hmc.edu
3 sp. | 0 appl.
Hours per week
Summer - Full Time
Project categories
Pharmaceuticals (+3)
ChemistryMolecular DesignPharmaceuticalsSustainability