The Royal Society of Chemistry Thames Valley section and the Society of Biology Thames Valley branch organised a joint event at Reading University on 31 October 2012.

“Blood Sugar Sensors Monitoring Diabetes: Electrochemistry and Enzymes Put to a Useful Purpose” was the story of how the glucose sensor was invented. As the instrument that gives diabetics control over their sugar levels and allows them to be in charge, its invention is one of the greatest stories in modern chemistry.

Speaker Allen Hill, Emeritus Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford and Honorary Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford, and Tony Cass, Professor of Chemical Biology in the Dept. of Chemistry and Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry told this very personal story.

Professor Hill developed the subject of Bioelectrochemistry in the 1970s and was concerned with the development of biosensors, particularly the glucose sensor for convenient use by diabetics, in the 1980s.


Professor Cass pioneered the use of synthetic electron transfer mediators for enzyme biosensors and his work in this area led to the development of the first electronic blood glucose measuring system. Currently he is working on minimally invasive devices for continuous glucose sensing.


“Following the RSC Landmark Award awarded earlier this year for the research into the Blood Sugar Sensor; Prof. Allen Hill and Prof. Tony Cass both provided excellent talks on the research, development and future of these sensors, which are now used by millions of diabetics every year. The lectures were preceded by a free buffet dinner and drinks, which provided members of both the SoB and RSC an opportunity to socialise together. Over 30 members attended this event.”

To find out more about the Thames Valley Section’s past and forthcoming events, including Top of the Bench, family lecture “As if by magic” and Functional foods: good science or marketing hype?, visit their webpage.  

"RSC Belgium took part in the third Greenlight for Girls day in Brussels on Saturday October 13. The venue was the International School of Brussels (ISB) in Watermael-Boitsfort. The RSC team had a great time running three workshops on the theme of culinary chemistry to groups of enthusiastic young scientists.


The RSC Belgium team for the day consisted of (from left to right) Amourie Prentice, Carolyn Ribes, Becki Scott, Albert Einstein and Rita Woodward with Tim Reynolds behind the camera. Our old friend Peter Casey of Blindseer Productions provided Einstein and the girls had great fun interacting with Albert throughout the day!

Each of the workshops brought together around a dozen young women aged 11 to 15. Most participants were Anglophone but the RSC Belgium team was ready and able to work with the girls in French and Dutch too. Each of the students got to do a range of experiments during the 45 minute sessions including some cheese-making.

Other chemical based workshops offered during the day included sessions on cosmetics and fragrances, plastics, and experiments from the hit TV series the ‘Big Bang Theory’. Other workshops focused on IT, physics, engineering and biotechnology.

All the 250 - 300 young ladies who attended the day had a great time and took back some fantastic memories, a goody bag and their own personalised lab coat, provided this year by IT giant Google.


About G4G
The Greenlight for Girls organisation is a Brussels-based, international non-profit organization that works to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to girls of all ages and backgrounds. The main aim is to stimulate greater participation of girls, young women and career-age women in STEM-related studies and careers. To achieve this mission, G4G carry out a range of activities around the world, with a special focus on reaching less-advantaged communities."

March – Invited lecture “Lipids as Potential Anti-Cancer Drugs”

Professor U.N. Das MD FAMS, Editor in chief of “Lipids in Health & Disease”, gave a lecture at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad on March 19 2012, under RSC-DS.
 
“Dr Das spoke about their research studies: he mentioned that incubation of cells with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) induced apoptosis of tumour cells, and augmented free radical generation and formation of lipid peroxidation products selectively in tumour cells compared to normal cells. This increase in free radical generation and lipid peroxidation occurred despite the fact that the uptake of PUFAs was at least 2 to 3 times higher in the normal cells, compared to tumour cells.  GLA induced apoptosis of tumour cells, caused DNA strand breaks, decreased the anti-oxidant content of tumour cells, and suppressed the expression of oncogenes ras and Bcl-2, whilst enhancing that of p53.
 
In a preliminary open label clinical study, it was noted that anti-tumour injections of GLA regressed glioma tumours and enhanced the survival of these patients for more than 2 years, which was considered significant without any significant side effects.
 
Around 150 delegates including NIPER students and staff, and those from other universities and nearby industry R&D scientists attended the lecture, which concluded with a question and answer session at the end of the lecture. 
 
March – Guest Lecture “Is Type II Diabetes Mellitus a Brain Dis-order”

Professor U.N. Das spoke at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Anurag Group of Institutions, Hyderabad, on the 22^nd March 2012 on the subject: “Is Type II Diabetes Mellitus a Brain Dis-order”.
 
“Dr Das Spoke about type II diabetes mellitus (DM): it is characterized by an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, a decrease in the concentrations of endothelial nitric oxide (eNO) and adiponectin, and an alteration in hypothalamic peptides that control satiety and hunger regulated insulin secretion.  Polyunsaturated fatty acids, (PUFAs) that decrease HMG-CoA reductase and ACE, augment eNO synthesis, modulate vascular tone, and potentiate insulin action both in the peripheral tissues and brain, are known to be decreased in maternal and foetal plasma and tissues. PUFAs are also known to modulate the actions of hypothalamic peptides, leptin, and adiponectin and suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines.  
 
Thus, sub-optimal maternal and foetal plasma and tissue concentrations of PUFAs lead to low-grade systemic inflammation, seen in type II DM, which may be aggravated by consumption of a high energy diet, saturated and trans-fats.
 
Finally he says that type 2 DM is due to an imbalance among hypothalamic peptides, the gastrointestinal tract, cytokines, nutrition, and life style factors, and has its origins in the brain and so is a disorder of the brain.  
 
This lecture was well attended by around 200 attendees, mainly students and staff of Pharma colleges in and around Hyderabad, and was well received by students who expressed their thanks to RSC-DS.”
 
June – Pharma Talent Quiz

The Royal Society of Chemistry – Deccan Section ran a Pharmacy quiz competition for M.S (Pharm) students in association with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad at NIPER-Hyderabad on the 18^th June 2012.



140 M.S (Pharm) students participated in the Pharma talent quiz, divided into four teams:
Team A - Pharmacology & Toxicology
Team B - Medicinal Chemistry
Team C - Pharmaceutics
Team D - Pharmaceutical Analysis

The aim of this program, organised by Prof. V. Peesapati and Dr. V. Jayathirtha Rao of the RSC-DS, was to give the students an opportunity to prepare for job interviews for their future career, so that they can face interviews with confidence.
 
After three rounds of questions on Pharma and Medicinal Chemistry related topics, 16 Students were selected for the final quiz on the basis of initial screening (Slip test).
Team B were declared the Winners with the highest overall score and Team D were the runners up. The winners and runners up received prizes and certificates were given to all participants. 
 
RSC–DS and the NIPER teaching staff commented on the team’s sporting spirit and good use of knowledge and logical deduction to work out their answers to quiz questions.
 

The events all concluded with tea and biscuits, and the RSC-DS honoured the guests.
 

January – Interactive chemistry lectures and chemistry demonstration

On January 21 2012, the RSC Deccan Section ran a collaborative event with St. Mary’s College, Hyderabad. Two popular lectures, given by Prof. V. Lakshmi Pathi and Prof. Ch. Krishna Kumar, were followed by a Chemistry demonstration given by Prof. V. Peesapati and Prof. V. Jayathirtha Rao.

Professor Lakshmi Pathi spoke about the transformation of cell to life and Professor Krishna Kumar spoke about the periodic table, involving A–Level students. The interactive demonstration was on natural products and their relevance in daily life, and students conducted some of the chemistry tests. Over 200 science students and staff from St Mary’s College attended the event and students had the opportunity to have their queries, questions and doubts answered and clarified by the speakers.
 
February - Professor T R Seshadri FRS Memorial Lecture

Dr. Ch. Mohan Rao, Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad, delivered the Professor T R Seshadri FRS Memorial Lecture on February 3 2012. The lecture on ‘Chemistry, Biology and Medicine’ covered Proteomics and Nucleomics, highlighting their relevance to medicine.
 
Over 250 delegates, comprising staff and students of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), CCMB, Academic Institutions, and Local R&Ds in Hyderabad, attended the lecture and took part in interactive discussions with the speaker.
 
February - Chemistry Competition: Essay Writing, Elocution and Quiz

RSC-DS ran a one day programme, “Chemistry Competition: Essay Writing, Elocution and Quiz”, on February 25, 2012. The event was put together by RSC-DS members Prof. V. Peesapati, Prof. Dr. V. Jayathirtha Rao and Dr YVD Nageswar in association with Chaitanya PG College, (Autonomous) Warangal, AP, India.
 
“The overall aim of this programme is to provide cutting edge scientific talks, debates, quizzes etc. across broad topic areas. The RSC will work in partnership with Universities, Colleges and Higher Education providers in these regions to promote RSC Educational activities and to develop
valuable contacts to build educational networks. In this direction RSC-DS is happy to associate with Chaitanya PG College, one of the leading colleges in Warangal City (AP).”
 
The morning session, Essay writing and Elocution, saw 15 PG students of Chemistry from several colleges in different Andhra Pradesh districts compete on the subject of “Industrial Catalysis”. Three students were chosen for prizes based on the overall performance. For the evening session, the Quiz Programme, 39 Students belonging to 13 different PG Colleges participated in the Chemistry Quiz Competition, culminating with a prize giving. All the participants got RSC-DS participation certificates.
 
The event generated extremely positive feedback from the students who thought it was an excellent programme, very useful, and giving confidence to students. They requested that RSC-DS run more of this type of event in order to help them achieve their academic goals.

When Helen Kinney approached the RSC Kent Local Section for help in attending the Biomaterials Annual Conference in Nottingham earlier this year, they rose to the challenge and provided sponsorship towards her accommodation costs.
At 18 years old Helen undertook voluntary research in biomaterials at the University of Greenwich in Medway in January 2012 after early completion of her A-levels. The results of her in vitro studies were positive and she had an abstract and poster presentation accepted for the 2012 conference.

 
“On the 27^th- 28^th June, I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the annual UK Society for Biomaterials conference in Nottingham. Here I was able to attend presentations by those carrying out current research in the field, as well as view and discuss the research posters of others. This was not only fascinating in terms of new areas of knowledge and hypotheses, but also in experiencing different approaches to research itself.

The talks covered a range of topics, including mechanobiology and the use of sophisticated bioreactors for in vitro studies, the development of scaffolds and material formulation and modification for tissue engineering, and the factors influencing cell response in different circumstances. I also had the chance to discuss my own research on bioactive composite membranes, completed alongside others at Greenwich University during my recent placement, and presented as an abstract poster at the conference.

I found the experience a very informative and valuable one, which definitely enthused me even further ready for the start of my studies of Biochemistry at university next year. I am very grateful to the Kent Local Section of the RSC for supporting my attendance, and to those at the Medway Campus of Greenwich University, including Nichola Coleman, Andrew Hurt and Sam Booth, without whom I would not have had the chance to carry out research nor consequently attend such an event.”

“The RSC’s West India Section organised an event titled ‘Basic Concepts in Organic Chemistry’ at Rajgad Dnyanpeeth’s College of Science and Pharmacy, Bhor, Pune, on Saturday 28th July, 2012. This event was truly an outreach event, aimed at educating students from rural colleges.
 
This event consisted of three full length organic chemistry talks. The first talk rekindled the ‘Concepts behind Reaction Mechanisms’ and was delivered by Dr. Sanjay Kumar (Piramal Healthcare Ltd.). The second talk was titled ‘Reaction Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry’ and was delivered by Dr. Abhijit Roychowdhury (Piramal Healthcare Ltd.). The third talk then disclosed the ‘Implications of Organic Chemistry’, by Santosh Mhaske (NCL Pune).
 
The students enjoyed the simplicity of organic chemistry through the ‘basic concepts’ using the white board, and around 250 students attended this event from the Science and Pharmacy College. Prof. Vidya Avasare (Sir Parashurambahu College) presided over this session and provided the concluding remarks.”




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The RSC’s International Section in Qatar celebrated ‘Arab Environment Day’ on October 14, 2012. The celebration commemorates the anniversary of the first Arab ministerial conference on Arab environmental issues that was held in Tunisia in 1986.

“Arab environment Day was celebrated in Bhavans Public School in Qatar in association with RSC, Qatar. A seminar on the topic 'GREEN CHEMISTRY - TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE CIVILIZATION' was presented by the International Representative of the RSC in Qatar, Mr Arunan Kattilaparambil. The seminar was attended by teachers and students. At the end of the presentation questions related to the topic were asked to the enthusiastic audience. The winners were presented with 'The Visual elements Periodic Table' published by RSC.”




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'Role of Chemistry Research in National Development'

Chemists from all over the world attended the International Conference on Chemical Sciences at Waters Edge and Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI), Colombo, Sri Lanka from the 20^th to the 22^nd June (2012). Organised by the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (ICHEMC), with the theme ‘Role of Chemistry Research in National Development’, the conference brought together young chemists and those with much experience and expertise.

The 41^st ICHEMC Annual Sessions, 71^st Anniversary Celebrations, and the Annual Dinner (at which the new President of the ICHEMC, Dr S. Mohandas, was inducted) ran in conjunction with the conference.

Three days of focused activity provided participants with a wide range of ways to engage with one another, including; plenary lectures, invited lectures, keynote lectures, workshop panel discussions by distinguished, world renowned chemists, and presentations by young chemists supported by their supervisors. Five parallel sessions in different areas of interest maximised the number of each on offer. Immediate ICHEMC Past President Professor S. Sotheeswaran said “The enthusiasm with which sessions were attended was reward enough for the organisers. The only drawback was that parallel sessions, as always, meant that choices had to be made and some lectures missed out.”

The conference provided an excellent opportunity for chemists, environmentalists, food scientists, educators and other scientists to discuss how chemistry can tackle global challenges (including clean air and safe water, healthy food, and dependable medicine), the delivery of chemical education to meet the UN Millennium Development goals, and to exchange ideas. All the activities were tied into the greater discussion of the role of chemistry research in national development and will hopefully have fostered research collaborations.

Professor W.S. Fernando received the Distinguished Service Award for tireless and continued promotion of the aims of the ICHEMC, and Young Chemist Ms P. K. V. Ranji was awarded The Kandiah Award for Basic Chemistry and gave the Kandiah Memorial Lecture. Prizes and bursaries were awarded to the ICHEMC College of the Chemical Sciences’ brightest chemists, and the winners of a number of the ICHEMC’s Chemistry competitions organised for schools were presented with awards. Winners were from as far away as Bandarawela, Galle, Matara, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Kalmunai, Ibbagamuwa, and Ruwanwella.



The delegates of the International Conference and Annual Sessions were from all regions of Sri Lanka, representing 38 different institutions of higher education, and, internationally, from India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, the Fiji Islands, Australia, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, the UK, the USA and Canada. The organisers’ hope that the contacts made at the conference will be lasting and fruitful, facilitated by modern technology.

The ICHEMC thank all their sponsors, including major sponsors OPCW, IUPAC, Royal Society of Chemistry - UK, National Science Foundation – Sri Lanka, AMW, CIC Paints, and Multiform Chemicals.  Without their sponsors, the ICHEMC could not have achieved their goal of promoting Chemical Education and Research for National and International Development.

Members of the Mid-Wales Local Section and their guests met for lunch in Lampeter, and then braved the wettest September day for many years to visit the Dolaucothi Gold Mines (National Trust) at Pumpsaint, Carmarthenshire.  First worked as an opencast quarry by the Romans, and then forgotten for hundreds of years, the site was reinvestigated in the 18th century and worked as a gold mine for various periods in the 19th and 20th centuries, finally closing in 1938.  A well-informed guided tour took the group through the tunneled mine workings at various levels in the wooded mountainside overlooking the Cothi valley, but  no gold was found that afternoon.  The guide reminded us that “if it's gold you're after, you can find it in the shop”.

If you would like to find out more about the many activities in the Mid-Wales Local section please contact networks@rsc.org for more information.  Mid-wales also run a series of educational activities as well as public lectures and social trips like the one mentioned in this post.

The South Africa Section (North) is comprised of a relatively small number of highly committed individuals who work with some of the poorest communities in Africa in not only promoting Chemistry as a subject, but helping to educate underprivileged children to gain qualifications in the Chemicals Sciences.
 
Through a unique symbiotic relationship with the Sci-Bono Centre in Johannesburg (the major Science Museum in Southern Africa), they are making sure that every penny of their annual budget  is precisely targeted towards high priority educational needs.
 
The Local Section has also played a unique role in facilitating the interaction between the RSC and SACI, the South African Chemical Institute and this year the South Africa - North Section has been awarded an RSC President's Award for their contribution towards the advancement of the chemical sciences. more...