Department of Chemistry course timetable

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

The relationship between a PhD student and their supervisor can be one of the most important relationships in a scientist’s career. This session will discuss what makes a successful relationship and how to manage any difficulties that might arise.

Naturally produced polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides possess a broad range of important biological activities and have the potential to be developed into potent pharmacological drugs. The assembly of these natural products has been the subject of intensive protein engineering efforts to produce tailored and improved analogues that perform desired biological activities. In this lecture a researcher from Isomerase Therapeutics Ltd will discuss strategies to modify the production lines of modular biosynthetic systems introduced in the previous lecture, and will present the concepts used to create 'designer' natural products that act as pharmacological agents, using real-life examples from Isomerase's portfolio.

Enzymes, which essentially catalyse all the reactions that occur in nature, generally show exquisite enantioselectivity. This has made them very useful in synthetic processes where the target molecule is a single enantiomer (as is often the case for pharmaceuticals). In this lecture we will look at some of the advantages and issues involved in using enzymes in synthesis. Some enzymes carry out reactions with other types of selectivity that is hard to achieve synthetically, and elucidating biosynthetic pathways provides a vast resource of potential enzymes for synthesis. Some examples of this will be described.

This 1 hour lecture will take a tour through the pitfalls of plotting and point the path towards better figures! We will cover the common mistakes and general principles of plotting various types of data including time-series, statistical and geospatial. We will conclude with pointers towards making better graphics and review graphic producing software.

The first half of this session will cover an overview of Raytracing versus 3D Modelling, an introduction to the free Raytracing programme Povray, running Povray (command line options). Making and manipulating simple shapes, camera tricks (depth of field, angle of view) and using other software to generate Povray input (e.g. Jmol)

The second half of the session is an introduction to 3D modelling and animation using the open source programme Blender. This will cover the installation and customisation of the Blender interface for use with chemical models, how to import chemical structures from Jmol and the protein data base (PDB), the basics of 3D modelling, and an introduction to Key-frame animation.

No previous experience with either 3D modelling or animation is required.

Professor Scherman will outline how to go about writing an effective fellowship proposal, in order that participants may have a realistic and practical idea of what this entails.

Speaker Biography: Oren Scherman graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a BA in Chemistry in 1999. He was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowship and moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed a PhD in 2004 in the area of olefin metathesis and controlled polymerisation, under the supervision of Professor Robert H. Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). After finishing his PhD, Oren was awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Distinguished Research Fellow (MPS-DRF) International Postdoctoral Fellowship and moved to the Netherlands to work on supramolecular polymers with Professors E.W. Meijer and Rint P. Sijbesma at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2006, he moved to the University of Cambridge to take up an academic appointment as a University Lecturer and Next Generation Fellow in the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. In 2012, he was promoted to Reader in Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry and in March 2013, he was appointed as the Director of the Melville Laboratory and recently to Professor in 2015. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Oren was on sabbatical at Tsinghua University as the Xuetang Visiting Professor in Chemistry. His research group is interested in dynamic supramolecular self-assembly at interfaces. Oren’s current research projects include the application of macrocyclic host-guest chemistry using cucurbit[n]urils in the development of novel supramolecular hydrogels and microcapsules, drug-delivery systems based on dynamic hydrogels, the conservation and restoration of important historical artefacts through the exploitation of supramolecular polymer chemistry and sensing and catalysis using self-assembled nanophotonic systems.

PhDs in the physical science and technology disciplines have plenty of options once they graduate. In this interactive session we will look at the pros and cons of different career options. You will have a chance to think about what you want your work to do for you and what you can offer employers, and you will learn ways to find out more about jobs you are interested in.

Speaker Biography: Dr Madelaine Chapman graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc in chemistry. She went on to complete a PhD at the same institution, focussing on the electrochemical and spectroscopic characterisation of a novel conducting polymer. She then joined the Royal Society of Chemistry, where she worked for five years in journal publishing before joining the University of Cambridge as a careers adviser, initially for research staff in the physical sciences and technology, and now also for students interested in a wide range of careers.

Professor Scherman will outline how to go about writing an effective grant application in order that participants may have a realistic idea of what this entails, should they be required to do so at any point.

Speaker Biography: Oren Scherman graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with a BA in Chemistry in 1999. He was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate fellowship and moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed a PhD in 2004 in the area of olefin metathesis and controlled polymerisation, under the supervision of Professor Robert H. Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). After finishing his PhD, Oren was awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Distinguished Research Fellow (MPS-DRF) International Postdoctoral Fellowship and moved to the Netherlands to work on supramolecular polymers with Professors E.W. Meijer and Rint P. Sijbesma at the Eindhoven University of Technology. In 2006, he moved to the University of Cambridge to take up an academic appointment as a University Lecturer and Next Generation Fellow in the Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis in the Department of Chemistry. In 2012, he was promoted to Reader in Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry and in March 2013, he was appointed as the Director of the Melville Laboratory and recently to Professor in 2015. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Oren was on sabbatical at Tsinghua University as the Xuetang Visiting Professor in Chemistry. His research group is interested in dynamic supramolecular self-assembly at interfaces. Oren’s current research projects include the application of macrocyclic host-guest chemistry using cucurbit[n]urils in the development of novel supramolecular hydrogels and microcapsules, drug-delivery systems based on dynamic hydrogels, the conservation and restoration of important historical artefacts through the exploitation of supramolecular polymer chemistry and sensing and catalysis using self-assembled nanophotonic systems.

In this session you can learn more about how selection processes work including how to put together a CV and cover letter and how to prepare for job interviews.

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)

The University of Cambridge is committed to protecting the dignity of staff, students, visitors to the University, and all members of the University community in their work and their interactions with others. The University expects all members of the University community to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times. All members of the University community have the right to expect professional behaviour from others, and a corresponding responsibility to behave professionally towards others. Nick will explore what this means for graduate students in this Department and the session will conclude with tea/coffee and biscuits, in order to provide an opportunity to ask questions more informally.

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.

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:

• Research Data Management (RDM) - what it is and what problems can occur with managing and sharing your data.
• Data backup and file sharing - possible consequences of not backing up your data, strategies for backing up your data and sharing your data safely.
• Data organisation - how to organise your files and folders, what is best practice.
• Data sharing - obstacles to sharing your data, benefits and importance of sharing your data, the funder policy landscape, resources available in the University to help you share your data.
• Data management planning - creating a roadmap for how not to get lost in your data!

Lunch and refreshments are included for this course

Submission of the first year report can seem to be a daunting experience, from constructing it to submitting and then being assessed by academic staff. In this session, Marie Dixon (Degree Committee Office, School of Physical Sciences), Rachel MacDonald and Deborah Longbottom will talk through all aspects of procedure and answer any questions students wish to pose. Students who went through the first year exam in 2016, as well as members of academic staff who carry out first year vivas will also be there to talk about the reality of the process from all perspectives.

For FS17 PhD Thesis Submission and the viva Experience: https://www.training.cam.ac.uk/event/1906775

For FS18 MPhil Thesis Submission and the viva Experience: https://www.training.cam.ac.uk/event/1906776

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.

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:

• Research Data Management (RDM) - what it is and what problems can occur with managing and sharing your data.
• Data backup and file sharing - possible consequences of not backing up your data, strategies for backing up your data and sharing your data safely.
• Data organisation - how to organise your files and folders, what is best practice.
• Data sharing - obstacles to sharing your data, benefits and importance of sharing your data, the funder policy landscape, resources available in the University to help you share your data.
• Data management planning - creating a roadmap for how not to get lost in your data!

Lunch and refreshments are included for this course

Drug discovery is a complex multidisciplinary process with chemistry as the core discipline. A small molecule New Chemical Entity (NCE) (80% of drugs marketed) has had its genesis in the mind of a chemist. A successful drug is not only biologically active (the easy bit), but is also therapeutically effective in the clinic – it has the correct pharmacokinetics, lack of toxicity, is stable and can be synthesised in bulk, selective and can be patented. Increasingly, it must act at a genetically defined sub-population of patients. Medicinal chemists therefore work at the centre of a web of disciplines – biology, pharmacology, molecular biology, toxicology, materials science, intellectual property and medicine. This fascinating interplay of disciplines is the intellectual space within which a chemist has to make the key compound that will become an effective medicine. It happens rarely, despite enormous investment in time, money and effort. What factors make a program successful? I would like to briefly outline the process, but importantly to offer some key with examples of success

Drug discovery is a complex multidisciplinary process with chemistry as the core discipline. A small molecule New Chemical Entity (NCE) (80% of drugs marketed) has had its genesis in the mind of a chemist. A successful drug is not only biologically active (the easy bit), but is also therapeutically effective in the clinic – it has the correct pharmacokinetics, lack of toxicity, is stable and can be synthesised in bulk, selective and can be patented. Increasingly, it must act at a genetically defined sub-population of patients. Medicinal chemists therefore work at the centre of a web of disciplines – biology, pharmacology, molecular biology, toxicology, materials science, intellectual property and medicine. This fascinating interplay of disciplines is the intellectual space within which a chemist has to make the key compound that will become an effective medicine. It happens rarely, despite enormous investment in time, money and effort. What factors make a program successful? I would like to briefly outline the process, but importantly to offer some key with examples of success

This workshop will introduce key concepts in sustainable materials design, including the evolution of materials, current material classes and consumption, life cycle analysis, and eco audits. Following the introduction to theory and several examples of applying eco audits to frequently debated problems, students will take apart modern electronic devices (tools provided). The workshop will close with a critical examination of the devices, material and design choices, as well as end-of-life options.

When you have 1000s of possible compounds you could make from any one start point what do you make first? This lecture will cover some general basic principles on designing more potent molecules, as well as some practical tips on how to run an optimization program and how to focus synthetic efforts. Binding modalities (reversible, covalent) will be briefly covered, as well as some newer non-traditional modalities. This lecture will also serve as an introduction to the medicinal chemistry game

Dr F Goldberg - AstraZeneca

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.

A real drug discovery example will be used. After a brief introduction to the task and the chemical startpoint, we will split into teams and iteratively try to design improved analogues. Molecules will be marked “in real time” during the session to recreate the design-make-test-analysis cycle, then teams can compare their optimized molecules, and we can compare them to what happened in real life.

Dr F Goldberg - AstraZeneca

Predicting and controlling how a chemical molecule will be processed by the body is vital to developing a successful drug. This lecture will discuss the path a molecule takes from initial dose through to elimination, describe the ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion) processes that take place and how these are related to compound structure and physicochemical properties. In addition to standard small molecule PK some other new modalities will be also be introduced to illustrate how methods such as PEGylation and lipoparticle encapsulation can be employed to modulate compound pharmacokinetic properties.

Dr R Ian Storer - AstraZeneca

Drug safety remains the primary cause of compound attrition when developing new medicines and consequently the ability to understand and predict toxicity is regarded as high priority within the pharmaceutical sector. This lecture will describe some common safety liabilities and ongoing work to build a greater understanding of the relationships between chemical structure and toxicity risk that are being harnessed to guide the design of safer compounds

Dr R Ian Storer - AstraZeneca

Following our recent straw poll on how members of the Department would like to meet up and discuss issues relating to gender equality in our Department, this mixed gender meeting invites you to come and contribute to a discussion session over lunch.

The questions and issues to be discussed will be generated through people filling out this Anonymous Survey and all ideas/suggestions produced during the meeting will be taken to the AthenaSWAN Committee for discussion, potential approval and implementation.

Are you a post-doc applying for grants? Do you need to write a Data Management Plan as part of your grant application but don't know how? Are you a post-doc who is just interested in learning about writing data management plans? If so, this session is for you.

During this session you will learn everything you need to know about data management plans:

• What they are
• Why they are suddenly required as part of grant applications
• What to include in data management plans
• Tools to help writing data management plans

Refreshments will be provided (tea, coffee, and biscuits).

As the world population continues to grow, so does the need to increase global food production sustainably with limited resources. Agrochemicals, in the form of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, provide an important tool for farmers to combat the weeds, fungi and insect pests that target their crops and help to ensure reliable yields and quality produce. Resistance, emerging pests, abiotic stress and regulatory pressure all drive an ongoing search for new and more innovative crop protection products. This lecture will outline the process used to discover new agrochemicals, from lead generation through to development. It will show the critical roles that chemistry, biology and human & environmental safety play, illustrated with a number of recent examples.

Dr Steve Smith - Syngenta

Two complementary lectures, between which tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided for all participants, industry experts on process chemistry from GSK and Syngenta will share their experiences and challenges gathered over many years of experience

If you are not sure what the Training Record is for, why it is a good idea to use it (as well as filling it in because you need to submit it alongside your first year report) and why it is now an excel spreadsheet and not a paper log book with a blue cover (as all the previous years were issued with), please come to this session. Deborah will give a brief talk and background to these things and answer questions from attendees for the remainder of the time.

Three drop-in sessions will be held in the direct run up to first year report submission, in order primarily to provide students with the opportunity to come and ask questions about any aspect of the first year report submission process that is not clear to them. However, any student with any query is welcome to turn up and see a combination of at least two of those listed above: we will endeavor to help you with anything you ask us about.

Submission of the PhD thesis can seem to be a daunting experience, from constructing it to submitting and then being examined, with one of those examiners coming from an external institution. In this session, Marie Dixon (Degree Committee Office, School of Physical Sciences), Rachel MacDonald and Deborah Longbottom will talk through all aspects of procedure regarding thesis submission and answer any questions students wish to pose. Students who were recently examined, as well as members of academic staff who carry out PhD vivas will also be there to talk about the reality of the process from all perspectives

In these sessions, Dr. Mukund S. Chorghade will discuss the pivotal role played by Process Chemistry / Route Selection in the progress of a drug from conception to commercialization. The medicinal chemistry routes for synthesis are usually low yielding and are fraught with capricious reactions, cryogenic temperatures, tedious chromatography and problems in scale-up to multi-kilo and multi-ton levels. Considerable research efforts have to be expended in developing novel, cost efficacious and scalable processes and seamlessly transferring these technologies to manufacturing operations. These principles will be exemplified by process development case studies on a variety of pharmaceutical moieties such as anti-epileptic and an anti-asthma drugs

Three drop-in sessions will be held in the direct run up to first year report submission, in order primarily to provide students with the opportunity to come and ask questions about any aspect of the first year report submission process that is not clear to them. However, any student with any query is welcome to turn up and see a combination of at least two of those listed above: we will endeavor to help you with anything you ask us about.

A one day course that explores the considerable research that has been done into leadership and the ways to develop individual leadership skills. The challenges of leadership will be discussed and participants will gain an appreciation of effective leadership behaviour, as well as being given the opportunity to discuss and develop their own approaches to being a leader.

The Course Leader is Roger Sutherland, previously an HR Director for Mars Incorporated, and highly experienced in running courses for senior universities and companies

Three drop-in sessions will be held in the direct run up to first year report submission, in order primarily to provide students with the opportunity to come and ask questions about any aspect of the first year report submission process that is not clear to them. However, any student with any query is welcome to turn up and see a combination of at least two of those listed above: we will endeavor to help you with anything you ask us about.

AO1 is a 3 part series, which runs over the course of three years in rotation and sees Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (the first part) being given this year. These lectures do not need to be taken in order. The series is as follows:

AO1 Part 1. Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (4L, current) These lectures introduce molecular orbitals – the fundamental description of electron distribution that chemists use to explain chemical bonding and chemical reactivity. There is no mathematics, only the basic physics. Topics include s-bonding, p-conjugation using the Hückel picture, hard and soft acids and bases, and reactivity using, with some circumspection, frontier orbital theory and the Salem-Klopman equation.

AO1 Part 2. Stereospecific Reactions in Organic Synthesis (4L, 2018) These lectures describe how the sense and degree of stereospecificity in several fundamental chemical reactions – substitution, elimination and addition – and the sense and degree of stereoselectivity in others – nucleophilic and electrophilic attack on double bonds with diastereotopic surfaces – can be explained by considering the molecular orbitals involved.

AO1 Part 3. Pericyclic Reactions (4L, 2019) These lectures continue the subject of stereospecificity, which is seen in its most powerful form in pericyclic reactions. The four classes of pericyclic reaction are described, and their allowedness and stereochemistry explained. The Woodward-Hoffmann rule is illustrated with the most telling examples.

AO1 is a 3 part series, which runs over the course of three years in rotation and sees Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (the first part) being given this year. These lectures do not need to be taken in order. The series is as follows:

AO1 Part 1. Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (4L, current) These lectures introduce molecular orbitals – the fundamental description of electron distribution that chemists use to explain chemical bonding and chemical reactivity. There is no mathematics, only the basic physics. Topics include s-bonding, p-conjugation using the Hückel picture, hard and soft acids and bases, and reactivity using, with some circumspection, frontier orbital theory and the Salem-Klopman equation.

AO1 Part 2. Stereospecific Reactions in Organic Synthesis (4L, 2018) These lectures describe how the sense and degree of stereospecificity in several fundamental chemical reactions – substitution, elimination and addition – and the sense and degree of stereoselectivity in others – nucleophilic and electrophilic attack on double bonds with diastereotopic surfaces – can be explained by considering the molecular orbitals involved.

AO1 Part 3. Pericyclic Reactions (4L, 2019) These lectures continue the subject of stereospecificity, which is seen in its most powerful form in pericyclic reactions. The four classes of pericyclic reaction are described, and their allowedness and stereochemistry explained. The Woodward-Hoffmann rule is illustrated with the most telling examples.

AO1 is a 3 part series, which runs over the course of three years in rotation and sees Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (the first part) being given this year. These lectures do not need to be taken in order. The series is as follows:

AO1 Part 1. Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (4L, current) These lectures introduce molecular orbitals – the fundamental description of electron distribution that chemists use to explain chemical bonding and chemical reactivity. There is no mathematics, only the basic physics. Topics include s-bonding, p-conjugation using the Hückel picture, hard and soft acids and bases, and reactivity using, with some circumspection, frontier orbital theory and the Salem-Klopman equation.

AO1 Part 2. Stereospecific Reactions in Organic Synthesis (4L, 2018) These lectures describe how the sense and degree of stereospecificity in several fundamental chemical reactions – substitution, elimination and addition – and the sense and degree of stereoselectivity in others – nucleophilic and electrophilic attack on double bonds with diastereotopic surfaces – can be explained by considering the molecular orbitals involved.

AO1 Part 3. Pericyclic Reactions (4L, 2019) These lectures continue the subject of stereospecificity, which is seen in its most powerful form in pericyclic reactions. The four classes of pericyclic reaction are described, and their allowedness and stereochemistry explained. The Woodward-Hoffmann rule is illustrated with the most telling examples.

AO1 is a 3 part series, which runs over the course of three years in rotation and sees Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (the first part) being given this year. These lectures do not need to be taken in order. The series is as follows:

AO1 Part 1. Molecular Orbitals in Organic Chemistry (4L, current) These lectures introduce molecular orbitals – the fundamental description of electron distribution that chemists use to explain chemical bonding and chemical reactivity. There is no mathematics, only the basic physics. Topics include s-bonding, p-conjugation using the Hückel picture, hard and soft acids and bases, and reactivity using, with some circumspection, frontier orbital theory and the Salem-Klopman equation.

AO1 Part 2. Stereospecific Reactions in Organic Synthesis (4L, 2018) These lectures describe how the sense and degree of stereospecificity in several fundamental chemical reactions – substitution, elimination and addition – and the sense and degree of stereoselectivity in others – nucleophilic and electrophilic attack on double bonds with diastereotopic surfaces – can be explained by considering the molecular orbitals involved.

AO1 Part 3. Pericyclic Reactions (4L, 2019) These lectures continue the subject of stereospecificity, which is seen in its most powerful form in pericyclic reactions. The four classes of pericyclic reaction are described, and their allowedness and stereochemistry explained. The Woodward-Hoffmann rule is illustrated with the most telling examples.

Part of Induction Week

For new PhD students within the Chemistry Department

For new PhD students within the Chemistry Department

This session is compulsory for all experimentalists to attend and will provide useful information regarding analytical facilities at this Department including NMR, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. Short descriptions will be given of all available instruments, together with a tour to show participants where these instruments are located, as well as explain the procedures for preparing/submitting samples for the analysis will also be discussed.

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.

Mass spectrometry is one of the main analytical-chemical techniques used to characterise organic compounds and their elemental composition. This overview will discuss some of the most frequently used mass spectrometry techniques and their specific strengths (e.g., quadrupole, time-of-flight and high-resolution MS), as well as ionisation techniques such as electron ionisation (EI), electrospray ionisation (ESI), matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) and MS techniques to quantify metal concentrations (e.g. inductively coupled plasma MS, ICP-MS) and isotope ratios.

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.

Mass spectrometry is one of the main analytical-chemical techniques used to characterise organic compounds and their elemental composition. This overview will discuss some of the most frequently used mass spectrometry techniques and their specific strengths (e.g., quadrupole, time-of-flight and high-resolution MS), as well as ionisation techniques such as electron ionisation (EI), electrospray ionisation (ESI), matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) and MS techniques to quantify metal concentrations (e.g. inductively coupled plasma MS, ICP-MS) and isotope ratios.

During the last decade, mass spectrometry (MS) has become an indispensable tool in experimental biophysics, capable of providing unique information on the conformation and dynamics of biomolecules, as well as their interactions with physiological partners. In this short course, the current state of biophysical MS will be presented, with emphasis on experimental techniques that are used to study protein higher order structure and dynamics. Biophysical methods that use MS are native MS, tandem MS (MS/MS), liquid chromatography MS (LC-MS), hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS (HDX-MS), chemical cross-linking MS (CXL-MS) and ion mobility MS (IM-MS).

This session introduces new undergraduate Chemistry 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.

This session introduces new undergraduate Chemistry 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.

This session introduces new undergraduate Chemistry 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.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy represents one of the most informative and widely used techniques for characterisation of compounds in the solution and solid state. Most researchers barely tap into the potential of the experiments that are available on the instruments in the Department, so in this short course we will explore the basic concepts that will allow you to make the most of these powerful techniques for routine analysis, as well as introducing more specialised experiments.

Are you interested in using Git https://git-scm.com/ and GitHub https://github.com/ to manage your code/research data? This new workshop covers the following:

• What is Git? What is GitHub? What is version control?

• How can it be useful for you?

• Practical session: working with GitHub

Refreshments will be provided.

Further details of the workshop can be found here: https://github.com/semacu/training/tree/master/20171024_GitHub_Chemistry_Cambridge

This session introduces new undergraduate Chemistry 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.

This session introduces new undergraduate Chemistry 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.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy represents one of the most informative and widely used techniques for characterisation of compounds in the solution and solid state. Most researchers barely tap into the potential of the experiments that are available on the instruments in the Department, so in this short course we will explore the basic concepts that will allow you to make the most of these powerful techniques for routine analysis, as well as introducing more specialised experiments.

The aim of the session is:

• to provide you with basic abilities to use TopSpin
• Extract information from the NMR data, giving you knowledge about the sample.
• Produce spectra to include in reports.

The session will also give an insight into some of the more advanced features of the software, and how to optimise your workflow.

The combination of modern computing power and density functional theory (DFT) has made it possible to explore the mechanisms and catalytic cycles of complex organic and organometallic reactions. These lectures will provide a practical introduction to performing DFT calculations to elucidate reaction mechanisms. Other applications of DFT calculations will be discussed such as computing spectra and structure identification.

These lectures will be accompanied by a workshop that will show the user how to perform DFT calculations and how to use the data generated by these calculations to draw conclusions about reaction mechanisms. No prior computational experience is required.

The combination of modern computing power and density functional theory (DFT) has made it possible to explore the mechanisms and catalytic cycles of complex organic and organometallic reactions. These lectures will provide a practical introduction to performing DFT calculations to elucidate reaction mechanisms. Other applications of DFT calculations will be discussed such as computing spectra and structure identification.

These lectures will be accompanied by a workshop that will show the user how to perform DFT calculations and how to use the data generated by these calculations to draw conclusions about reaction mechanisms. No prior computational experience is required.

A ‘recommended’ optional course introducing electronic databases SciFinder and Reaxys presented by Professor Jonathan Goodman comprising of presentation followed by hands-on investigation.

Personal registration required for access to SciFinder. Please see the prerequisites.

These are the accompanying workshops that will show the user how to perform DFT calculations and how to use the data generated by these calculations to draw conclusions about reaction mechanisms. No prior computational experience is required.

The aim of this course is to provide an idea of what kind of scientific problems can be solved by solid state NMR. It will cover how NMR can be used to study molecular structure, nanostructure and dynamics in the solid state, including heterogeneous solids, such as polymers, MOFs, energy-storage and biological materials. No previous knowledge of solid state NMR will be required, just a basic working knowledge of solution-state NMR for 1H and 13C, i.e. undergraduate level NMR. In order to highlight the utility of this technique, some materials based research using solid state NMR will also be covered.

The aim of this course is to provide an idea of what kind of scientific problems can be solved by solid state NMR. It will cover how NMR can be used to study molecular structure, nanostructure and dynamics in the solid state, including heterogeneous solids, such as polymers, MOFs, energy-storage and biological materials. No previous knowledge of solid state NMR will be required, just a basic working knowledge of solution-state NMR for 1H and 13C, i.e. undergraduate level NMR. In order to highlight the utility of this technique, some materials based research using solid state NMR will also be covered.

Probe microscopy is a general term for a class of microscopy in which well-defined nanoscale probes are used to interact with a sample in some manner. In this introductory lecture the necessary background principles to understand probe microscopy are explained with reference to Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy in both tapping and contact mode. This will provide the user with the necessary background to make the most of the increasingly well-used Departmental Keysight 5500 multimode system, which is operated and maintained by the Melville Lab. Probe microscopy is of interest to anyone with a need to perform single molecule or surface based studies. Typically anything involving a surface interaction is accessible and the technique is particularly well suited to studying a variety of chemical and electromechanical properties of aggregates with 1-1000 nm dimensions. Recently, the system has been used to study cellulose crystals, amyloid fibres, protein monolayers, thermal properties of polymer films, doped graphite and so on.

Other modes are available on the Keysight system such as pico-trec, electrochemical STM, EFM, KFM, MFM, and LFM and these modes will be described but not explained in detail during the lecture.

These lectures will introduce the basics of crystallography and diffraction, assuming no prior knowledge. The aim is to provide an overview that will inspire and serve as a basis for researchers to use the Department’s single-crystal and/or powder X-ray diffraction facilities or to appreciate more effectively results obtained through the Department’s crystallographic services. The final lecture will be devoted to searching and visualising crystallographic data using the Cambridge Structural Database system.

These lectures will introduce the basics of crystallography and diffraction, assuming no prior knowledge. The aim is to provide an overview that will inspire and serve as a basis for researchers to use the Department’s single-crystal and/or powder X-ray diffraction facilities or to appreciate more effectively results obtained through the Department’s crystallographic services. The final lecture will be devoted to searching and visualising crystallographic data using the Cambridge Structural Database system.

FS1 - Successful Completion of a Research Degree An hour devoted to a discussion of how to plan your time effectively on a day to day basis, how to produce a dissertation/thesis (from first year report to MPhil to PhD) and the essential requirements of an experimental section.

FS2 - Dignity@Study The University of Cambridge is committed to protecting the dignity of staff, students, visitors to the University, and all members of the University community in their work and their interactions with others. The University expects all members of the University community to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times. All members of the University community have the right to expect professional behaviour from others, and a corresponding responsibility to behave professionally towards others. Nick will explore what this means for graduate students in this Department and the session will conclude with tea/coffee and biscuits, in order to provide an opportunity to ask questions more informally.

This is a compulsory session for 1st year post-graduates.

These lectures will introduce the basics of crystallography and diffraction, assuming no prior knowledge. The aim is to provide an overview that will inspire and serve as a basis for researchers to use the Department’s single-crystal and/or powder X-ray diffraction facilities or to appreciate more effectively results obtained through the Department’s crystallographic services. The final lecture will be devoted to searching and visualising crystallographic data using the Cambridge Structural Database system.

Probe microscopy is a general term for a class of microscopy in which well-defined nanoscale probes are used to interact with a sample in some manner. In this introductory lecture the necessary background principles to understand probe microscopy are explained with reference to Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy in both tapping and contact mode. This will provide the user with the necessary background to make the most of the increasingly well-used Departmental Keysight 5500 multimode system, which is operated and maintained by the Melville Lab. Probe microscopy is of interest to anyone with a need to perform single molecule or surface based studies. Typically anything involving a surface interaction is accessible and the technique is particularly well suited to studying a variety of chemical and electromechanical properties of aggregates with 1-1000 nm dimensions. Recently, the system has been used to study cellulose crystals, amyloid fibres, protein monolayers, thermal properties of polymer films, doped graphite and so on.

Other modes are available on the Keysight system such as pico-trec, electrochemical STM, EFM, KFM, MFM, and LFM and these modes will be described but not explained in detail during the lecture.

The first session will describe the basics of electron diffraction and the main differences from X-ray and neutron diffraction, particularly as regards the strength of the interaction and the complications caused by multiple scattering. The advantages of the method in determining unit cell dimensions will also be discussed.

Session two will concentrate on the advantages conferred by forming images with electrons but also on the inherent problems such as the effect of aberrations on the ultimate resolution. If there is sufficient time, a consideration of the information available in high resolution images will be made.

The first session will describe the basics of electron diffraction and the main differences from X-ray and neutron diffraction, particularly as regards the strength of the interaction and the complications caused by multiple scattering. The advantages of the method in determining unit cell dimensions will also be discussed.

Session two will concentrate on the advantages conferred by forming images with electrons but also on the inherent problems such as the effect of aberrations on the ultimate resolution. If there is sufficient time, a consideration of the information available in high resolution images will be made.

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.

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

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:

• Research Data Management (RDM) - what it is and what problems can occur with managing and sharing your data.
• Data backup and file sharing - possible consequences of not backing up your data, strategies for backing up your data and sharing your data safely.
• Data organisation - how to organise your files and folders, what is best practice.
• Data sharing - obstacles to sharing your data, benefits and importance of sharing your data, the funder policy landscape, resources available in the University to help you share your data.
• Data management planning - creating a roadmap for how not to get lost in your data!

Lunch and refreshments are included for this course

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.

A thorough awareness of issues relating to research ethics and research integrity are essential to producing excellent research. This session will provide an introduction to the ethical responsibilities of researchers at the University, publication ethics and research integrity. It will be interactive, using case studies to better understand key ethical issues and challenges in all areas. There are three sessions running, you need attend only one.