Department of Chemistry course timetable
February 2017
| Mon 13 |
Much of scientific knowledge and information is communicated in written form, be it via journal publications, theses or in other media. However, scientific writing differs from other styles of writing quite significantly, with regard to structure, grammar and word choice. This lecture will outline the basics of what to consider when 'writing science', in order to smoothen the path to your first peer-reviewed publication, as well as your later thesis. |
| Wed 15 |
The main aim of giving a presentation to the public or a science venue is to present information in a way that the audience will remember at a later time. There are several ways in which we can improve this type of impact with an audience. This interactive lecture explores some of those mechanisms. |
| Thu 16 |
FS13 LaTex
Finished
This hands-on course teaches the basics of Latex including syntax, lists, maths equations, basic chemical equations, tables, graphical figures and internal and external referencing. We also learn how to link documents to help manage large projects. The course manual is presented in the style of a thesis and since you also receive the source code you also receive a template for a thesis. |
| Wed 22 |
Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing natural products produced primarily by plants but also by all other types of organism. They have a wide range of biological and medicinal properties, e.g. stimulants, toxins, hallucinogens, anti-cancer, anti-malaria, etc. In this lecture we will look at ways in which we can discover how an organism makes a particular natural product and then look at the biosynthetic pathways to one or two of the huge number of known alkaloids. Finally we will look at ways in which people have exploited existing biosynthetic pathways to make altered natural products or to transfer production to more amenable organisms. |
| Fri 24 |
Terpenes (isoprenoids) are the largest class of natural product. They all share a common biosynthetic pathway in which a linear hydrocarbon diphosphate undergoes cationic cyclisation followed by a seies of rearrangements, oxidations, cleavages etc. to generate the vast array of known structures. In this lecture we will look at the biosynthetic pathways to some of the more well-known terpenes, at engineering readily grown organisms to make medicinal terpenes or biofuels, and at organic synthetic reactions inspired by the terpene biosynthetic pathway. |
| Mon 27 |
Polyketides, made by polyketide synthases (PKS), and non-ribosomal peptides, made by non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPS) are futher large classes of natural products containing very important medicinal compounds, including antibiotics erthyromycin (PKS), penicillins and vancomycin (NRPS). Unlike the alkaloids and terpenes, which are made by a succession of steps catalysed by monofunctional enzymes, polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides are generally made by huge multifunctional proteins, to which the starting material is tethered at the start of the process and then extended and modified by a series of domains in the protein, before finally being released at the end of the chain. This lecture will look at the mechanisms involved and the organisation of these "molecular production lines". |
| Tue 28 |
The relationship between a PhD student and their supervisor can be one of the most important relationships in a scientist’s career. This session will discuss what makes a successful relationship and how to manage any difficulties that might arise. |
March 2017
| Wed 1 |
Naturally produced polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides possess a broad range of important biological activities and have the potential to be developed into potent pharmacological drugs. The assembly of these natural products has been the subject of intensive protein engineering efforts to produce tailored and improved analogues that perform desired biological activities. In this lecture a researcher from Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd will discuss strategies to modify the production lines of modular biosynthetic systems introduced in the previous lecture, and will present the concepts used to create 'designer' natural products that act as pharmacological agents, using real-life examples from Isomerase's portfolio. |
| Fri 3 |
Enzymes, which essentially catalyse all the reactions that occur in nature, generally show exquisite enantioselectivity. This has made them very useful in synthetic processes where the target molecule is a single enantiomer (as is often the case for pharmaceuticals). In this lecture we will look at some of the advantages and issues involved in using enzymes in synthesis. Some enzymes carry out reactions with other types of selectivity that is hard to achieve synthetically, and elucidating biosynthetic pathways provides a vast resource of potential enzymes for synthesis. Some examples of this will be described. |
| Thu 9 |
This 1 hour lecture will take a tour through the pitfalls of plotting and point the path towards better figures! We will cover the common mistakes and general principles of plotting various types of data including time-series, statistical and geospatial. We will conclude with pointers towards making better graphics and review graphic producing software. |
| Fri 10 |
The first half of this session will cover an overview of Raytracing versus 3D Modelling, an introduction to the free Raytracing programme Povray, running Povray (command line options). Making and manipulating simple shapes, camera tricks (depth of field, angle of view) and using other software to generate Povray input (e.g. Jmol) The second half of the session is an introduction to 3D modelling and animation using the open source programme Blender. This will cover the installation and customisation of the Blender interface for use with chemical models, how to import chemical structures from Jmol and the protein data base (PDB), the basics of 3D modelling, and an introduction to Key-frame animation. No previous experience with either 3D modelling or animation is required. |
| Mon 13 |
Professor Scherman will outline how to go about writing an effective fellowship proposal, in order that participants may have a realistic and practical idea of what this entails. Speaker Biography: Oren Scherman graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a BA in Chemistry in 1999. He was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowship and moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed a PhD in 2004 in the area of olefin metathesis and controlled polymerisation, under the supervision of Professor Robert H. Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). After finishing his PhD, Oren was awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Distinguished Research Fellow (MPS-DRF) International Postdoctoral Fellowship and moved to the Netherlands to work on supramolecular polymers with Professors E.W. Meijer and Rint P. Sijbesma at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2006, he moved to the University of Cambridge to take up an academic appointment as a University Lecturer and Next Generation Fellow in the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. In 2012, he was promoted to Reader in Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry and in March 2013, he was appointed as the Director of the Melville Laboratory and recently to Professor in 2015. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Oren was on sabbatical at Tsinghua University as the Xuetang Visiting Professor in Chemistry. His research group is interested in dynamic supramolecular self-assembly at interfaces. Oren’s current research projects include the application of macrocyclic host-guest chemistry using cucurbit[n]urils in the development of novel supramolecular hydrogels and microcapsules, drug-delivery systems based on dynamic hydrogels, the conservation and restoration of important historical artefacts through the exploitation of supramolecular polymer chemistry and sensing and catalysis using self-assembled nanophotonic systems. |
| Tue 14 |
CP1 Careers Options
Finished
PhDs in the physical science and technology disciplines have plenty of options once they graduate. In this interactive session we will look at the pros and cons of different career options. You will have a chance to think about what you want your work to do for you and what you can offer employers, and you will learn ways to find out more about jobs you are interested in. Speaker Biography: Dr Madelaine Chapman graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc in chemistry. She went on to complete a PhD at the same institution, focussing on the electrochemical and spectroscopic characterisation of a novel conducting polymer. She then joined the Royal Society of Chemistry, where she worked for five years in journal publishing before joining the University of Cambridge as a careers adviser, initially for research staff in the physical sciences and technology, and now also for students interested in a wide range of careers. |
| Wed 15 |
Professor Scherman will outline how to go about writing an effective grant application in order that participants may have a realistic idea of what this entails, should they be required to do so at any point. Speaker Biography: Oren Scherman graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a BA in Chemistry in 1999. He was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowship and moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed a PhD in 2004 in the area of olefin metathesis and controlled polymerisation, under the supervision of Professor Robert H. Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). After finishing his PhD, Oren was awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Distinguished Research Fellow (MPS-DRF) International Postdoctoral Fellowship and moved to the Netherlands to work on supramolecular polymers with Professors E.W. Meijer and Rint P. Sijbesma at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2006, he moved to the University of Cambridge to take up an academic appointment as a University Lecturer and Next Generation Fellow in the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. In 2012, he was promoted to Reader in Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry and in March 2013, he was appointed as the Director of the Melville Laboratory and recently to Professor in 2015. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Oren was on sabbatical at Tsinghua University as the Xuetang Visiting Professor in Chemistry. His research group is interested in dynamic supramolecular self-assembly at interfaces. Oren’s current research projects include the application of macrocyclic host-guest chemistry using cucurbit[n]urils in the development of novel supramolecular hydrogels and microcapsules, drug-delivery systems based on dynamic hydrogels, the conservation and restoration of important historical artefacts through the exploitation of supramolecular polymer chemistry and sensing and catalysis using self-assembled nanophotonic systems. |
| Fri 17 |
CP2 Applications and Selections
Finished
In this session you can learn more about how selection processes work including how to put together a CV and cover letter and how to prepare for job interviews. |
| Mon 20 |
FS3 Integrity and Ethics in Research
Finished
A thorough awareness of issues relating to research ethics and research integrity are essential to producing excellent research. The first part of this session will provide an introduction to the ethical responsibilities of researchers at the University, the second will focus on publication ethics and both will be interactive, using case studies to better understand key ethical issues and challenges in all areas. There are two sessions running, you need attend only one. These sessions are held by Drs Emily Skinner (Publishing Ethics Specialist, RSC) and Rhys Morgan (Cambridge University Research Strategy Office) |
| Tue 21 |
An hour devoted to a discussion of how to plan your time effectively on a day to day basis, how to produce a dissertation/thesis (from first year report to MPhil to PhD) and the essential requirements of an experimental section. This is a compulsory session for 1st year post-graduates. |
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FS2 Dignity@Study
Finished
The University of Cambridge is committed to protecting the dignity of staff, students, visitors to the University, and all members of the University community in their work and their interactions with others. The University expects all members of the University community to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times. All members of the University community have the right to expect professional behaviour from others, and a corresponding responsibility to behave professionally towards others. Nick will explore what this means for graduate students in this Department and the session will conclude with tea/coffee and biscuits, in order to provide an opportunity to ask questions more informally. |
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| Thu 23 |
IS3 Research Information Skills
Finished
This compulsory course will equip you with the skills required to manage the research information you will need to gather throughout your graduate course, as well as the publications you will produce yourself. It will also help you enhance your online research profile and measure the impact of research. |
| Fri 24 |
IS4 Research Data Management
Finished
This compulsory session introduces Research Data Management (RDM) to Chemistry PhD students. It is highly interactive and utilises practical activities throughout. Key topics covered are:
Lunch and refreshments are included for this course |
April 2017
| Thu 20 |
Submission of the first year report can seem to be a daunting experience, from constructing it to submitting and then being assessed by academic staff. In this session, Marie Dixon (Degree Committee Office, School of Physical Sciences), Rachel MacDonald and Deborah Longbottom will talk through all aspects of procedure and answer any questions students wish to pose. Students who went through the first year exam in 2016, as well as members of academic staff who carry out first year vivas will also be there to talk about the reality of the process from all perspectives. For FS17 PhD Thesis Submission and the viva Experience: https://www.training.cam.ac.uk/event/1906775 For FS18 MPhil Thesis Submission and the viva Experience: https://www.training.cam.ac.uk/event/1906776 |
May 2017
| Tue 2 |
IS3 Research Information Skills
Finished
This compulsory course will equip you with the skills required to manage the research information you will need to gather throughout your graduate course, as well as the publications you will produce yourself. It will also help you enhance your online research profile and measure the impact of research. A short break for refreshments will be included |
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IS1 Chemistry Library Orientation
Finished
This is a compulsory session which introduces new graduate students to the Department of Chemistry Library and its place within the wider Cambridge University Library system. It provides general information on what is available, where it is, and how to get it. Print and online resources are included. You must choose one session out of the 9 sessions available. |
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| Wed 3 |
IS4 Research Data Management
Finished
This compulsory session introduces Research Data Management (RDM) to Chemistry PhD students. It is highly interactive and utilises practical activities throughout. Key topics covered are:
Lunch and refreshments are included for this course |
| Wed 10 |
DD1 The Drug Discovery Process
Finished
Drug discovery is a complex multidisciplinary process with chemistry as the core discipline. A small molecule New Chemical Entity (NCE) (80% of drugs marketed) has had its genesis in the mind of a chemist. A successful drug is not only biologically active (the easy bit), but is also therapeutically effective in the clinic – it has the correct pharmacokinetics, lack of toxicity, is stable and can be synthesised in bulk, selective and can be patented. Increasingly, it must act at a genetically defined sub-population of patients. Medicinal chemists therefore work at the centre of a web of disciplines – biology, pharmacology, molecular biology, toxicology, materials science, intellectual property and medicine. This fascinating interplay of disciplines is the intellectual space within which a chemist has to make the key compound that will become an effective medicine. It happens rarely, despite enormous investment in time, money and effort. What factors make a program successful? I would like to briefly outline the process, but importantly to offer some key with examples of success |