Department of Chemistry course timetable
December 2016
Mon 5 |
The Masterclass is an intensive programme of talks from experts working in the broad areas of energy supply and demand, both in industry and the university. The focus is on technology challenges and opportunities, including examples of the use of science and engineering in the energy industry. The Masterclass covers a very broad range of themes, from conventional supplies, renewable supplies to energy efficiency, and it provides new insights about both long and short term challenges for the energy infrastructure. An important aspect of the Masterclass is the opportunity to learn about and debate some of the important questions concerning different energy sources, about energy efficiency and climate change. All undergraduates and graduate students may apply to attend the Masterclass, especially those in engineering, physical science or chemical engineering. To register please go to http://www.bpi.cam.ac.uk/masterclass2016 |
Tue 6 |
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 |
The Masterclass is an intensive programme of talks from experts working in the broad areas of energy supply and demand, both in industry and the university. The focus is on technology challenges and opportunities, including examples of the use of science and engineering in the energy industry. The Masterclass covers a very broad range of themes, from conventional supplies, renewable supplies to energy efficiency, and it provides new insights about both long and short term challenges for the energy infrastructure. An important aspect of the Masterclass is the opportunity to learn about and debate some of the important questions concerning different energy sources, about energy efficiency and climate change. All undergraduates and graduate students may apply to attend the Masterclass, especially those in engineering, physical science or chemical engineering. To register please go to http://www.bpi.cam.ac.uk/masterclass2016 |
|
Wed 7 |
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 |
Fri 9 |
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) |
January 2017
Mon 9 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Wed 11 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Fri 13 |
FS8 Supervising Undergraduates
Finished
In this short talk we will cover what supervisions are, the role they play in Cambridge teaching, and how supervisors are recruited. We will then go on to look at how you can prepare for supervising, how you can conduct a supervision, and how to deal with common pitfalls. |
Mon 16 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Wed 18 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Fri 20 |
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 |
Mon 23 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Wed 25 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Thu 26 |
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. |
Mon 30 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
February 2017
Wed 1 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Fri 3 |
FS10 Effective Researchers in Chemistry
POSTPONED
‘Effective Researchers in Chemistry’ is for first year PhD students starting to engage with their projects. This workshop provides a highly interactive opportunity for PhD students to share issues and come to terms with what is actually required from them. Exercises cover project planning and management and working effectively with others (including supervisors). The lead tutor is a Chartered Chemist with extensive R&D management experience in industry, including the supervision of PhD students working on collaborative projects. |
Mon 6 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
Wed 8 |
SC1-10 Statistics for Chemists
Finished
This course is made up of 10 sessions which will be based around the topics below: unlike other courses in the Graduate Lecture Series, it is essential to attend all 10 sessions to benefit from this training. Places are limited so please be absolutely certain upon booking that you will commit to the entire course. |
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". |