College of Chemistry

Jay Keasling talks to Japan's NHK World about Synthetic Biology

August 14, 2019
Kesling spoke about the impact that interdisciplinary technology can have in people’s lives as well as addressing safety concerns.

Alumna Emily Derbyshire looks for malaria’s vulnerabilities

March 4, 2019
Derbyshire focused on how nitric oxide activates guanylate cyclase, which is a “tough enzyme” to work on.

Clayton Radke Awarded Ruben Medal

August 30, 2019
Radke has been awarded the Ruben Medal by the International Society for Contact Lens Research.

Omar Yaghi elected to the National Academy of Sciences

April 30, 2019
Omar Yaghi, Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry, was announced today as one of a 100 new members, and 25 foreign members, of the National Academy of Sciences.

Unsung heroes of the College of Chemistry: how the Machine Shop fuels innovation

July 28, 2025
The Machine Shop is a vital, often unseen engine driving success at the College of Chemistry.

Richmond Sarpong joins new NSF Initiative on Computer-Assisted Synthesis

September 7, 2019
Supported by the National Science Foundation, the team plans to create tools for a new generation of ‘data chemists’ by exploring the use of computers and machine learning to streamline how complex molecules, which form the basis for over 50% of the medicines on the market, are made.

Authors John Newman and Nitash Balsara release 'Electrochemical Systems', Fourth Edition

April 1, 2021

John Newman and Nitash Balsara

The long-anticipated fourth edition of Electrochemical Systems by John Newman and Nitash P. Balsara is now available.* The fourth edition updates all of the chapters, adds content on lithium battery electrolyte characterization and polymer electrolytes, and includes a new chapter on impedance spectroscopy. Topics covered include electrochemical theories as they relate to the...

David Limmer awarded 2022 Donald S. Noyce Undergraduate Teaching Prize

May 27, 2022

The Noyce Prize award memorabilia for David Limmer

Prof. David Limmer's Donal S. Noyce prize certifictate and medal. (photo courtesy of Prof. Limmer.)

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Assistant Professor of Chemistry David Limmer, (Ph.D. ’13, Chem) has been awarded the 2022 Donald Sterling...

Huge bacteria-eating viruses narrow gap between life and non-life

February 12, 2020

Discovery of new class of phages

Scientists have discovered hundreds of unusually large, bacteria-killing viruses with capabilities normally associated with living organisms, blurring the line between living microbes and viral machines as reported in new research findings in Nature. These phages — short for bacteriophages, so-called because they “eat” bacteria — are of a size and complexity considered typical of life, carry numerous genes normally found in bacteria and use these genes against their bacterial hosts.

Megaphages harbor mini-Cas proteins ideal for gene editing

July 20, 2020

Illustration of a megaphage injecting its DNA into a gene

The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria. The new Cas proteins were found in the largest known bacteria-infecting viruses, called bacteriophages, and are the most compact working Cas variants yet discovered — half the size of today’s workhorse, Cas9.