http://www.hamilton.edu/news/ News From Hamilton en-us http://www.hamilton.edu/news/mermelstein-14-researches-breast-cancer-fighting-protein http://www.hamilton.edu/news/mermelstein-14-researches-breast-cancer-fighting-protein Daniel Mermelstein ’14 is conducting research this summer on a protein produced by the fetus, alpha-fetoprotein, that might hold the key to a reduction in breast cancer. Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:04:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/organic-chemsitry-summer-researchers-present-results http://www.hamilton.edu/news/organic-chemsitry-summer-researchers-present-results At the end of their summer research, students from Hamilton, Colgate University. and Hobart and William Smith Colleges who did projects in organic chemistry gathered at Hamilton to present their results in a symposium on July 25. Each student spoke for 15 minutes and then responded to questions. A cookout at the Babbitt Pavilion followed. Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/hamilton-hosts-maalact-conference http://www.hamilton.edu/news/hamilton-hosts-maalact-conference Hamilton hosted the annual meeting of MAALACT, the Middle Atlantic Association of Liberal Arts Chemsitry Teachers, on Oct. 7-8. Founded in 1967, the organization includes chemistry faculty from liberal arts colleges in the Middle Atlantic states and eastern N.Y. that gather yearly to discuss a variety of curricular matters, laboratory safety, how to get grants and other matters of interest. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:01:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-presents-at-pharmacognosy-meeting http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-presents-at-pharmacognosy-meeting Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Robin B. Kinnel presented a poster titled “Two Unusual Chlorinated Metabolites from Lyngbya bouillonii Revealed by MALDI Analysis” at the 52nd national meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy on Aug. 1 in San Diego. The work, accomplished primarily while he was on sabbatical leave at Scripps Institution of Oceanography during the spring of 2010, capitalized on a new technique for discovering potentially useful natural products. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:01:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/danilack-and-blackburn-synthesize-newly-discovered-molecule http://www.hamilton.edu/news/danilack-and-blackburn-synthesize-newly-discovered-molecule Chemistry Professor Robin Kinnel has recently discovered the chemical compound dichlorobouillonamide, which is released by a cyanobacteria in the Lyngbya family. The chemical has never been studied in depth, and it is possible that dichlorobouillonamide has potential applications in pain treatment. This summer Aaron Danilack ’13 and Jeffrey Blackburn ’13 are working with Kinnel to carry out a laboratory synthesis of dichlorobouillonamide. Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:59:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-delivers-talk-in-honolulu http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-delivers-talk-in-honolulu Robin Kinnel, the Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, presented a paper at the 2010 International Chemical Congress of the Pacific Basin Societies (PacifiChem) on Dec. 18, in Honolulu. In his presentation, he discussed work carried out while on leave at Scripps Institute of Oceanography and at Hamilton. Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-discovers-new-metabolite http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-discovers-new-metabolite A new, active metabolite called cryptomaldamide was discovered by Robin Kinnel, the Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, while he was on leave at Scripps Institute of Oceanography during the spring semester. This summer Kinnel is pursuing the synthesis of cryptomaldamide with University of Maastricht graduate student Marta Kolodziejczak who comes to Hamilton through the Junior Year in France Program. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-participates-in-panel-on-role-of-research-at http://www.hamilton.edu/news/kinnel-participates-in-panel-on-role-of-research-at Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Robin Kinnel recently took part in a panel exploring the role of research at primarily undergraduate institutions at Washington College, host of the 43rd meeting of the Middle Atlantic Association of Liberal Arts Chemistry Teachers. Kinnel and his co-panelist, Shaun Murphree (Allegheny College), discussed the experiences of their departments in the significant growth in publications that was described in a recent article in the Journal of Chemical Education. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/nathaniel-taylor-11-studies-effectiveness-of-alpha-fetoprotein http://www.hamilton.edu/news/nathaniel-taylor-11-studies-effectiveness-of-alpha-fetoprotein Following pregnancy, women sometimes have a high concentration of what is known as alpha-fetoprotein, a protein found in blood plasma and produced in the yolk sac and liver during the fetal stage of development. Previous studies have shown that the alpha-fetoprotein has pronounced affects against breast cancer, and therefore women who have had multiple births might be less at risk. This summer Nathaniel Taylor ’11 looked at two sub-derivatives (small pieces) of alpha-fetoprotein, Peptides TPVNP and STPNVP to see if the properties they possess could be extracted for pharmaceutical purposes. He worked on the research with Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Robin Kinnel. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.hamilton.edu/news/keith-willner-11-studies-chemical-compounds-in-butterfly-eggs http://www.hamilton.edu/news/keith-willner-11-studies-chemical-compounds-in-butterfly-eggs As a high school student, Keith Willner ’11 was very interested in chemistry but had no interest in going to Hamilton because he was a local student and felt it was too close to home. “My parents dragged me on a tour of campus.” But as soon as he entered the Science Center, with its towering glass windows and immaculate, well-equipped labs, his sullen attitude went away. “I was hooked,” he said. Now Willner is a budding chemist working for the Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Robin Kinnel. The goal of his research this summer is to establish that the (-) enantiomer of germacrene D is the principal chemical signal for feeding and egg laying in the female Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescent) butterfly.  Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:14:03 EST