This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
With this award from the Major Research and Instrumentation (MRI) program, Marisa Buzzeo, John S. Magyar, Dina C. Merrer, Christian M. Rojas and Alison P. Williams of Barnard College will acquire a high-resolution ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectrometer, a high-resolution Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, and a fluorescence spectrometer. These instruments will be used by all research-active members of the Chemistry Department and their research students in biological physical, environmental bioinorganic, synthetic organic, and physical organic chemistry. With the aid of these three spectroscopic tools, undergraduates will be able to conduct research in the following areas: electrochemical biosensing and drug-membrane interactions; mechanisms of DNA damage by the tissue preservative, formalin; metal-binding thermodynamics, coordination chemistry, and conformational dynamics of metalloregulatory proteins in marine microorganisms; formation of metal-complexed acyl nitrenes from azidoformates; and, generation and reactivity of halocarbenes with strained cyclic organic substrates.
Spectroscopy is an analytical technique that uses light (electromagnetic radiation) of various wavelengths to probe the structure and composition of matter. The radiation may be absorbed differentially producing an absorption spectrum or absorbed and later emitted producing an emission or fluorescence spectrum. The variation of the absorption or emission as the wavelength is changed provides a spectrum characteristic of the material, sometimes called a fingerprint. These spectrometers will be used by undergraduates in research and laboratory courses providing training in this basic technique essential to quantitative and qualitative analysis in chemistry and biological experiments.
This NSF Major Research Instrumentation award has funded the purchase of a cluster of spectroscopic research instrumentation for the Barnard College Chemistry Department: a high-resolution ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR), a high-resolution Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and a fluorescence spectrometer. Acquisition of this instrumentation marked a significant improvement in the department's facilities and greatly impacted the scope of research and training opportunities available to its undergraduate students. The funds allocated through this award were exclusively applied to the purchase of the requested equipment, as outlined in the detailed budget: a Varian Cary 5000 UV-Vis NIR spectrophotometer ($79,203.00), a Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 FT-IR spectrometer ($37,670.76), and an ISS PC1 fluorimeter ($46,407.00). All instruments were delivered and installed between September 2010 and January 2011. Training sessions were provided to faculty and staff members for each piece of equipment. The addition of this set of spectrometers to the department’s facilities has helped provide stimulating and enhanced laboratory experiences to Barnard undergraduates. Faculty members, staff, and students have utilized the instrumentation in both research and teaching laboratories. The sensitivity and capabilities of this equipment have allowed the pursuit of research goals that were previously unattainable and the incorporation of curricular changes that required modernized hardware. Research-active faculty members have employed the instrumentation for a host of applications in biological physical, environmental bioinorganic, synthetic organic, and physical organic chemistry. Undergraduate students have used the equipment in an introductory general chemistry course as well as upper-level organic and physical chemistry teaching laboratories. The award has also fostered collaboration between members of the Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Departments. The Chemistry Department has an excellent track record of preparing women for successful careers in chemistry, related sciences, and medicine, and actively recruits students into research programs from groups that are underrepresented in the chemical sciences. Students who show interest and/or potential in the introductory chemistry courses are advised to gain research experience early on in their undergraduate career. The acquired cluster of spectroscopic instrumentation has been an asset in recruiting students to the major and encouraging students to participate in our research program. Students are enthused by the modern instrumentation and the opportunity to learn new applications. This Major Research Instrumentation award has significantly improved the current research facilities of the Barnard College Chemistry Department, expanded its faculty-sponsored, externally funded undergraduate research program, and created new opportunities for research participation by students. Use of these spectrometers has allowed Barnard undergraduates to be exposed to state-of-the-art equipment, to learn more current methods of data analysis, and to become better prepared for post-graduate studies in chemistry. Acquisition of this instrumentation has strengthened the existing science research infrastructure at Barnard and bolstered the overall goal to promote young women to pursue scientific careers.
