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Field Notes


New patent holder Tim Elgren



Harnessing the power of an enzyme


Associate Professor of Chemistry Tim Elgren's interest in using silica-based materials to stabilize enzymes began in 1998 when he and a student developed a project funded by the Emerson Summer Fellowship Program. That research has evolved into the first patent disclosure for a scientific discovery at Hamilton.

The patent is based on a paper Elgren recently published in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters titled "Immobilization of Active Hydrogenases by Encapsulation in Polymeric Porous Gels." The work was completed while Elgren was on sabbatical last year at Montana State University in Bozeman.

The Nano Letters publication and patent disclosure report the successful incorporation of hydrogenases into glass-like materials and the demonstration that the enzymes remain fully active in this environment. Hydrogenases are capable of converting protons and electrons into hydrogen gas. They are also capable of the reverse reaction, transforming hydrogen gas into electrons. This reaction constitutes the catalytic core of a hydrogen fuel cell.

"This is the first example of stabilizing a hydrogenase enzyme in a solid material that still enables it to function," Elgren explained. "The ability to stabilize active hydrogenase in this material is the first step toward harnessing the power of the enzyme for this purpose."

The next phase of Elgren's research will be to effectively couple the material to a conducting electrode to more efficiently deliver electrons for hydrogen production or to harvest electrons to produce an electrical current. Although the full patent application will be filed on this project later this year, Elgren cautioned that his research represents only the preliminary steps required for in vitro hydrogen production or oxidation catalyzed by an enzyme.

In addition to achieving a scientific breakthrough in advancing this developing technology, Elgren has had the opportunity to involve his students from initial studies focused on the reaction mechanism of the encapsulated enzyme to the development of functional bio-materials.
"Synthesizing and studying these bio-materials have been a gold mine for us in terms of providing a wealth of new research opportunities for students in my lab," Elgren said. "The initial Emerson Award allowed me to explore an entirely new field, which is now the primary focus of my research activities."

Funding for these projects and his recent sabbatical has been provided in part by grants from the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, the Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation.

Elgren joined the Hamilton faculty in 1993. He was the first recipient of the John R. Hatch Excellence in Teaching Award in 1998 and has recently returned to full-time teaching after a four-year term as associate dean of the faculty. He served this past year as the president of the Council on Undergraduate Research and is serving a final year on its executive board.



“In economics, it’s fairly well known that if you want to be a professor, you pretty much want to get into a top program, or you might as well not really bother.”

— Assistant Professor of Economics Stephen Wu quoted in the Aug. 5, 2005, edition of Inside Higher Education. His study “Where do faculty receive their Ph.D.s?” compared the doctoral origins of faculty in six subjects (economics, history, English, sociology, chemistry and mathematics) at top research universities and liberal arts colleges. Wu found more than two-thirds of economics faculty members earned their Ph.D. at a top-10 institution, the highest proportion by far of the six disciplines compared.

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“For the new leaders, the single-minded emphasis on economic growth without paying attention to social equality, distributive justice, environment and resources will enhance social tensions and public protests, thus undermining the CCP rule.”

— Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, quoted in the Oct. 7, 2005, Forbes magazine. Li suggests that supporting People’s Republic of China President Hu Jintao’s plan for economic changes may pose a shift in the Communist party’s views.
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“I think the Fed in the last decade has been a real model on how to deal with crises.”
— Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen quoted in an Aug. 25, 2005, CBS Marketwatch article that chronicled Alan Greenspan’s success as chairman of the Federal Reserve and addressed the question of whether the economy can perform as well without him.