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Because Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been identified as a factor in conditions including obesity, ADHD, reproductive complications and behavioral abnormalities, consumers and health officials have been alarmed at the presence of the chemical in food and drink products for years. In a summer research project,  Lisbeth DaBramo ’15 and Rachel Sobel ’15 are measuring BPA levels in bottles and cans to identify how this toxic compound is introduced into our systems.

Everyone uses language on a daily basis, but few question exactly how we understand what another person is saying.  Interpreting gestures and sounds seems natural to us, yet there is a much deeper and more scientific explanation to it all.

The Kinnel research group – Sky Aulita ’15, Krystina Choinski ’15, Tara Hansen ’14, Shakil Hossain ’14, Laura McCormick’15 and Bryce Timm ’15 – participated in a symposium for undergraduate organic chemistry research students on July 2 at Hobart and William Smith (HWS) Colleges.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Ian Rosenstein attended the National Organic Symposium from June 25-28 at the University of Washington in Seattle.  This biennial conference, held by the Organic Division of the American Chemical Society, features invited talks on cutting edge research in all aspects of organic chemistry plus several hundred poster presentations.

Information, regardless of its accuracy, spreads rapidly through social media, reaching and influencing millions of readers.  In special instances, stories achieve viral status, where a large number of people receive the material within days, if not hours. Unfortunately, oftentimes information is incorrect, yet people accept it as true.

Associate Professor of Biology Michael McCormick directed a group of four students on an adventure to Antarctica in 2012. They were part of a LARISSA expedition led by Principal Investigator Eugene Domack, the J. W. Johnson Family Professor of Environmental Studies.  Andrew Seraichick ’13 was one of the students who explored and sampled the ocean waters that are now accessible after the Larson A ice shelves disintegrated.

Obesity and diabetes are serious issues that public health officials are focusing on.  A bulk of the scientific literature blames sedentary lifestyles for the increase in obesity.  However, the developing trend of people becoming categorized as obese is increasingly steep and Hamilton student researchers believe there are more biological and chemical components to the issues.

Picking up a spoon to stir your morning coffee seems uncomplicated enough, right? We simply see the object and move our hand until it is close enough to grab it. But how much harder does it become if the object gets smaller or farther away from us? Or what happens when we start using our non-dominant hand? Perhaps most of us could make an educated guess at how much harder it would make the task, but Paul Fitts took it one step further beyond just estimating.

The world of technology is changing at a rapid pace and new materials need to be utilized to make further advancements.  Rare earth metals are in a strong position to be more widely used for various applications, ranging from small electronic devices to large television screens. Laura Rivera ’16 and Catherine Oglevee ’15 are working with terbium and europium, two rare earth metals, this summer to understand their fluorescent properties.

Enzymes and proteins, typically when left unattended or unprotected, can easily lose their structural integrity and fall apart. Sol-Gel is an emerging material that helps encapsulate the enzymes and protect them from the dangers of degradation. The technology can be used in numerous applications, one of them being a new method for slow-release medications. These slow release medicines allow for the introduction of necessary chemicals over a period of time, avoiding any negative side effects from releasing all the medication at once.