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.
* * * *
“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.
* * * *
“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.
