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Volume 7 Issue 2

October 2014

Bonding Students to Chemistry & Biochemistry

Editor-in-Chief: Annabelle Cantu ▪ Co-Editor-in-Chief: Lori DigalStaff: Alexis Camacho, Osiel Ramirez, Briana Nickol, Laura Leyva, Ana

Perez, Shannon Thoene, Vivian Chen, Elizabeth Sebastian \

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The Beaker Volume VII Issue II

TABLE OF CONTENTSEvent Announcements..............................................1

Professor Spotlight: Dr.Mason....................................3

Scholarship Opportunities............................................7

Chem History..................................................................8

Chemistry for Today's World......................................9

Chemtertainment.......................................................10

Announcements.........................................................11

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University Deadlines:

EventAnnouncements2014Un ive rs i t y Dead l i nes

Semina r Se r i es

Ca ree r Deve lopemen t Cen te r

By: Annabelle Cantu

• 10/10: Deadline for Study AbroadScholarship Applications for Winter 2015• 10/10: Responsible Conduct of Research(RCR) Workshop• 10/13: Schedule of Classes AvailableOnline for Spring 2015• 10/13: Faculty Award Nominations dueto Academic Senate Office• 10/16: “California Great Shake Out” –Earthquake drill• 10/22: Study Abroad fair 10am-2pm• 10/29: Deadline to drop or withdrawfrom all classes and receive pro-rated refund

• 10/8: Dustin Thoman, CSULB - TBAHost: Dr. Buonora• 10/15: Sheryl Tsai, UC Irvine -“Learning Drug Design from Nature: Synthetic and Chemical Biology of Fat and Natural Products” Host: Dr. Schwans• 10/22: Mark Thompson, USC -“Achieving High Open Circuit Voltages in Organic Photovoltaics” Host: Dr. Derakhshan

• 10/6 : 2:00pm: Interviewing Tools andTechniques• 10/7 :12:00pm: Negotiating the Job Offer• 10/8 : 1:00pm: Prepare for the Job Fair• 10/9 : 8:00am: Fall Job Fair!• 10/13 : 1:00pm: Internships: Explore youroptions• 10/14 : 12:30pm: Boost your Resume byvolunteering• 10/14 : 2:00pm: LinkedIn – Building yourprofile• 10/15 : 12:00pm: Discovering what youvalue in a career• 10/16 :12:00pm: Cover Letters &Professional Correspondence• 10/20 : 1:00pm: Choosing a Career• 10/21 : 2:00pm: LinkedIn – ActiveNetworking - Job Search• 10/22 : 12:00pm: Resume WritingEssentials• 10/23 : 3:00pm: Interviewing Tools Techniques• 10/27 :12:00pm: Personality Assessment(MBTI)• 10/28 : 2:00pm: Writing the PersonalStatement• 10/29 : 1:00pm: Job Search Success*All events are held in BH-250unless otherwise noted*

The Beaker Volume VII Issue II

EventAnnouncements2014Semina r Se r i es

CNSM Depa r tmen t

Studen t A f f i l i a tes o f the Amer i can Chemica l Soc ie t y

Upcoming Con fe rences

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An on-campus organization that helps undergraduates reach their educational and career goals in the fields of chemistry and biochemistry, we offer field trips, community services, and outreach opportunities for our members to gain hands-on experiences in the chemical sciences!• Periodic Table Bake Sale on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 11 AM to 2 PM on the MLSC patio• Currently scheduling a field trip to an oil refinery in November TBA

• 10/29: Tyler Luchko, UC San Diego -“The Ionic Atmosphere of DNA” Host: Dr. Sorin• 11/5: Stephen Mezyk, CSULB - “Wetand Wild: The Chemistry behind Recycling Wastewater” Host: Dr. BrazierSeminars are held in HSCI-103 at 5:00pm

• 10/11 – 10/12: 12th Annual UC Davis Pre-MedicalPre-Health Professions National Conference at UC Davis – Special travel package w/ hotel and transportation included! Register by October 2nd! More info: http://www.ucdprehealth.org/ • 10/16 – 10/18: Society of Advancement ofChicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center – More info: http://sacnas.org/events/national-conf• 11/5 – 11/8: 8th Annual Conference on HealthDisparities at The Westin, downtown Long Beach - More info: http://www.nationalhealthdisparities.com/2014/index.php • 11/22: Southern California Conferences forUndergraduate Research (SCCUR) at CSU Fullerton - Abstracts due October 6th, 2014! Register by November 14th! More info: http://apps.fullerton.edu/sccur_csuf/• 1/8 – 1/10: CSU Annual BiotechnologySymposium at Santa Clara Marriott – Poster abstract submissions are due Monday, October 6th, 2014! More info: http://www.csuperb.org/symposium/

• 10/2 : 9:00 - 9:45am: CNSM Academic AdvisingSeminar: “Improving the Rate of Success for Underrepresented Racial Minorities in STEM Fields: Insights from a National Project” in HSCI-156• 10/2 : 31 Ten Lounge, Santa Monica 6:00 – 8:00pm:CNSM Alumni Mixer, RSVP - http://csulb.edu/alumni/events/recentalumnimixer.html• 10/23 : 9:00 - 9:45am: CNSM Academic AdvisingSeminar: “Black Graduation Rates May Depend on ‘Grit’ As Much As Grades, Study Shows” in HSCI-156• 10/24: CNSM will be at the Annual CSULB CounselorsConference for High School Community College Advisors

• Outreach- Vitamin C and Hydrophobicity experiments. Wednesday, October 29, 2014. 10 am - 2 pm @ Jordan High SchoolOutreach- Dry Ice, Vinegar and Lava Lamp experiments. Friday, October 31, 2014. 10 am - 12 pm @ Fremont ElementaryFor more information or inquiries on how to participate in outreach events email csulbchemclub@gmail.com

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The Beaker Volume VII Issue II

Dr.Andrew Mason

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Former Associate Vice President of Research

By: Lori Digal Edited By:Annabelle Cantu and Alexis Camacho“The reverence for nature and life.”

Every day a baby is born, a death is mourned, a seed is planted and a cell is torn. The relationship shared amongst these wide-ranging occurrences is subtle yet simple: life. A devoted naturalist, ardent and wholehearted are two key words to describe the passion Dr. A. Z. Mason has for the study of life, a term many of us have come to learn, love, and possibly fear - biology. Similar to how most professors here on campus are drawn to the pleasant aroma from our USU’s Coffee Bean, Dr. Mason was addicted to learning about life’s intricacies, not from the stimulation of caffeine however, but by the subtle power of curiosity.

At the young age of six, an innocent question as to “how does this know how to grow into that” would eventually lead him to understand the frameworks of the natural phenomena of biology. Originally Hungarian and raised in Sheffield, U.K. Dr. Mason began his “biological voyage” over “unsettling waters”. The thought of becoming a biologist seemed unfavorable to his parents, especially his father, whose aspirations were set on him becoming a doctor or lawyer. Nevertheless, Dr. Mason strived to become a biologist, much to the dismay of his father. As Dr. Mason advises, “you must do what makes you happy”.

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Dr. Mason completed his undergraduate degree at the University of North Wales with an impressive double major in marine zoology and oceanography. During his undergrad, he had the opportunity to operate a transmission electron microscope, describing it as “a wonder looking at components working in harmony through millions of macromolecules to give rise to an entity”. Like at the end of Meiosis 1, Dr. Mason’s quest for knowledge (rather than reproduction) did not stop there. Continuing at North Wales, he earned his Ph.D. in metalloprotein biochemistry. His doctorate studies focused primarily on how marine organisms cope with high episodic inputs of pollutants. Unlike terrestrial organisms that can walk away from these pollutants, marine organisms are constantly exposed, giving rise to unique genetic adaptive features. Dr. Mason then went on to complete his first postdoctoral experience at the University of Reading in cell biology and another at the University of Sussex in parasitology. From there he received a faculty position at London Medical School.

Dr. Mason was nationally recognized for his scientific achievements, and while teaching at London Medical School he was invited to fill a position here at CSULB. Being a spirited surfer, Dr. Mason could not pass up the opportunity to relocate across the pond to live close to America's notable surf city, Huntington Beach. Despite his original intention of staying for only 2 years, his love of teaching at the university led him to permanently relocate to beautiful Long Beach.

Although Dr. Mason retired from the university this past semester and no longer teaches, he still passionately advocates the importance of learning. As the past Associate Vice President of Research, he allocated funds for the development of a new program for for summer student research assistantships among other research related responsibilities. The advice Dr. Mason has to offer students regarding research is fundamental - “during your undergraduate career you are exposed to many exams and textbooks, which give you no opportunity for free thought, discovery, or creativity. In research there is excitement, an added level of curiosity that you cannot find in any textbook. By allowing yourself to formulate and empirically test hypotheses and feel the excitement of discovery you take your first steps to transition into a scientist. It is a phenomenal experience.”

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Fun Facts• He takes a keen interest in surfing and naturalism• His favorite artists are Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan & Al Stewart• Some of his favorite movies are One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nestand Dead Poet’s Society• His favorite book is Lord Of The Rings• He cares for 4 cats, one dog, 4 koi and a lizard• If he could be any animal he would be a bird because there is noboredom in flying• His real name is Zoltan Andrash Iroshoy and has a nickname“Zed”• If he could combine 2 organisms to make a new organism itwould be between a seeing-eye dog and a luminescent jellyfish in order for blind people to take dogs out for walks in the night and be seen by cars and people

A creative portrayal of Dr.Mason's "jellyfish seeing-eye dog"Artist: Elizabeth Sebastian

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Publications

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MASON, A.Z., POTTER, T., WEBSTER, J. AND MERAZ, R.F. Metalloprotein Crosstalk: Quantifying Zn atom exchange between isotopically labeled proteins using directly coupled HPLC-ICPMS. In Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry, Current Trends and Future Developments. The Royal Society of Chemistry Special Publication 301: Pp. 3-27: (2005).

MASON, A.Z., MOELLER, R., THRIPPLETON, and LLOYD. D. (2007). The use of stable-isotopically labeled proteins and directly coupled HPLC-ICP-MS for quantitatively monitoring the transfer of metals between proteins. Anal. Biochem. 369, 87-104.

GRAY, L.A., KIDANE, T.Z., NGUYEN, A., AKAGI, S., PETRASEK, K., CHU, Y-H, PHAM, T.N., CABRERA, A., KANTARDJIEFF, K., MASON A.Z., and LINDER, M.C. Copper proteins and ferroxidases in human plasma and that of wild-type an a ceruloplasmin knockout mice. Biochem. J. 2009 419, 237-245.

ROJAS, B., RAMOS, D., PLANUTYTE, L., THON, V., MASON, A. Z., and LINDER, M.C. (2007). Unknown low molecular weight iron-peptide complexes and their possible contribution to the "labile iron pool" in mammalian cells. FASEB J. 21, 859.2 (6) A1117.

CABRERA, A., ALONZO, E., SAUBLE, E., CHU, Y-L., LINDER, M., SATO, D.S., and MASON, A.Z. (2008). Copper binding components of serum and cytoplasm, copper turnover and excretion, and their responses to influx of large doses of 65Cu, in the mouse. BioMetals 21: 525-543. ISSN 0966-0844 (Print) 1572-8773 (Online). DOI10.1007/s10534-008-9139-6

DURER, Z.A. PADUA, S., DOWNES, S., EHRENCLOU, K., DINH, P., TAN, J.K., NAKANO, Y., BOWMAN, C., ROSALES, J., HOSKINS, J. L., KWON, C., MASON, A.Z., RODRIGUEZ, J.A., DOUCETTE, P. A., SHAW, B.F., VALENTINE, J.S., and COHLBERG, J.A. (2009). Loss of Metal Ions, Disulfide Reduction and Mutations Related to Familial ALS Promote Formation of Amyloid-Like Aggregates from Superoxide Dismutase. PLoS ONE 4(3): e5004. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005004.ABDULLAH, M.M., LY, A.R., GOLDBERG, W.A., CLARKE-STEWART, K.A., DUDGEON, J.V., MULL, C.F., CHAN, T.J., KENT, E.E., MASON, A. Z. and ERICSON, J. E. (2011). Heavy Metal in Children’s Tooth Enamel: Related to Autism and Disruptive Behaviors? J. Autism Dev. Disord. JADD-10-1007/s10803-011-1318-6.

MERCER, K.E., WYNNE, R.A., LAZARENKO, O.P., LUMPKIN, C.K., HOGUE, W.R., SUVA, L.J., JIN-RAN CHEN, J-R., MASON, A.Z., BADGER, T.M., and RONIS, M.J.J. (2012). Vitamin D supplementation protects against bone loss associated with chronic alcohol administration in female mice. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics DOI:10.1124/jpet.112.197038

VASINOVA GALIOVA, M., NYVLTOVA FISAKOVA M., KYNICKY J., PROKES L., NEFF, H., MASON A.Z., GADAS, P, KOSLER, J., and KANICKY, V. (2013). Elemental mapping in fossil tooth root section of Ursus arctos by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Talanta 105, 235-243. RONIS M.J., MIOUSSE I.R., MASON A.Z., SHARMA N., BLACKBURN M.L., and BADGER T.M. Trace element status and zinc homeostasis differ in breast and formula-fed piglets. Exp Biol Med. 2014 Sep 1. pii: 1535370214547162.

THOMAN, D.B., BROWN, E.R., MASON, A.Z., HARMSEN, A.G., and SMITH, J.L. (in press). Seeing how science can help: A motivational factor in enhancing the participation of underrepresented minority students as biomedical researchers. BioScience.

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Scholarship OpportunitiesBy:Laura Leyva

NAME: Internship Essay CompetitionDEADLINE: 10/13/14 (October 13th)DESCRIPTION: Seven scholarships varying from $500 to $1,000 will be given to students who submit a typed, double spaced essay of no more than 750 words about how your internship experience has influenced your career choice. ELIGIBILITY:• Must be a a currently enrolled CSULB student who has participated in an unpaid internship, practicum, fieldwork, orstudent teaching assignment during 2013 (Spring, Summer, or Fall semester). • The work experience must be a minimum of 120 hours.MORE INFO: http://careers.csulb.edu/job_search/internships/intership_events.htm

NAME: A National Scholarship Fund for DREAMersDEADLINE: 10/26/14 (October 26th) by 11:59 p.m Central Standard Time.DESCRIPTION: TheDream.US is a national scholarship fund for DREAMers. They provide college scholarships to highly motivated DREAMers who have DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) or TPS (Temporary Protected Status) approval and who, without financial aid, cannot afford a college education that will enable them to participate in the American workforce. REQUIREMENTS:• Students must first Register online at http://thedreamus.scholarsapply.org/• Students must use a valid, active email in order to receive correspondence throughout the process.• Students must write two essays with a limit of 4,000 words each (prompts can be found on the website in theApplication Process section)• Students must provide Supplemental Documents( list of specific documents required can be found on the website inthe Application Process section)• If Students is selected, there are Scholar Commitments he/she must observe. (list of commitments can be found onwebsite in the scholar Commitments section)ELIGIBILITY:• Have been born on or after June 16, 1981 and have come to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;• Be a first-time college student (12 or less college credits excluding credits earned in a dual enrollment program oradvance placement testing);• Intend to enroll in and attend one of TheDream.US Partner Colleges in 2015 and be eligible for in-state tuition;(CSULB is one of the Partner Colleges for a list of all partner colleges go to http://www.thedream.us/colleges/)• Have a high school unweighted GPA of 2.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent GED score);• Be DACA or TPS eligible and have applied for or received DACA or TPS approval; and• Demonstrate significant unmet financial need.MORE INFO: Go to http://thedreamus.scholarsapply.org/

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THIS MONTH IN CHEM HISTORYBy: Osiel Ramirez• October 2– Alexander Robertus Todd (October 2, 1907 – January 10, 1997) was a Scottish Biochemist whomade great progress in his work with nucleotides, nucleosides and their co-enzymes, earning him the 1957 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was also the first one to artificially synthesize ATP (Adenine Triphosphate) and FAD (Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide).

• October 2 – William Ramsay (October 2, 1852 – July 23, 1916) was the British chemist that discovered neon,argon, krypton, and xenon gas, and grouped them into a family that now well known as the noble gases. This discovery earned him the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

• October 3, 1952 – The United Kingdom detonates their first atomic weapon. They detonated a 25 kilotonplutonium bomb aboard the HMS Plym frigate, off the coast of Western Australia, all as part of Operation Hurricane. This made the United Kingdom the third country to develop atomicweapons.

• October 4, 1971 – The mole was added as a base quantity of substance to the SI units of measure, by TheGeneral Conference on Weights and Measurements.

• October 4 – Kurt Wuthrich (October 4, 1938 - Present) was s Swiss biochemist that was awarded half of the2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of (NMR) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Today it is widely used in organic chemistry and is also useful to determine the three dimensional structure of biological macromolecules in solution.

• October 5 – Dirk Coster (October 5, 1938- February 12, 1950) was a Dutch physicist who co-discovered theelement, hafnium with his colleague, George Charles von Heresy through the use of x-ray spectroscopy. The discovery happened in Copenhagen, therefore in a fitting manner, they gave the element a name similar to the Latin name for Copenhagen, Hafnia.

• October 7 – Niels Bohr (October 7, 1885 – November 18, 1962) was a Danish physicist who won the 1922Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in the subject of atomic structure (Bohr atomic model) and radiation emitting from atoms.

• October 8- Henry- Louis Le Chatelier (October 8, 1850 – September 17, 1936) was the famous Frenchchemist known for his Le Chatelier principal on equilibrium. His principle demonstrated how changes in partial pressure, volume, and concentration or temperature of a chemical reaction at equilibrium will cause the reaction to compensate for the change.

• October 18 – Christian Friedrich Schonbein (October 18, 1799 – August 29, 1868) was a German chemistthat was the first to discover ozone through the electrolysis of water. He used the Greek word ‘ozo’, which meant smell, due to its distinct smell when he discovered the gas.

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THIS MONTH IN

By: Osiel Ramirez

CHEMISTRY FOR TODAY'SY WORLD By: Briana Nickol

Lights, Sunscreen, Algae! We have all been through that “burning” problem of forgetting to put on

sunscreen before we go out, and despite being reminded, most of us end up resembling the lobsters you eat at the buffet. But while we have always associated sunscreen with protection from the sun, we may now have to start thinking about the harm it can cause to other organisms. Research has shown that sunscreen leeched into ocean water causes the release of titanium dioxide nanoparticles into the environment, which can cause hydrogen peroxide to form and stress out the algae. And you thought you only had to worry about carbon-dioxide in the environment stressing you out! Previous research has linked sunscreen chemicals to the bleaching of coral, and while this is definitely something to be aware of, algae play just as important of a role in the ocean ecosystem, perhaps even more so as they are autotrophic producers that are needed by every organism in some way or another, mostly through digestion and metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide is a vital part of what keeps our skin protected against UVA/UVB in sunscreens, yet is considered toxic to algae. Researchers tested the amount of the chemicals in the water by collecting samples from the island of Majorca, and shone UV light at the same intensity as the sun in high noon. The findings were that the amount of hydrogen peroxide increased significantly, and even measure up to amounts that are lethal to the algae.

For more in depth analysis on the research, you can check out the article below, and check out the video to find out more about how sunscreen works:

http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/08/Sunscreens-Release-Hydrogen-Peroxide-Seawater.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvG4sy_YfXM

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Aero.!.! l . The chemistry of compounds of carbon ~. A method of dating- measuring the age of materials that contain matter of living origin 9. Th@ amount of .!Ub!ltanc@ p@r unit velum@ in a .!elution 10 . A rr.ethod of investigating nuclear SPINe' 11 . A unit of pr@!l.!Ur@ @xpr@!l.!@d in m:roBg 12 . A conical qlass l aboratory flask with a narrow neck Down 2 . A r@action wit n oxyg@n wit n t h@ production of h@&t and light 3 . The proportions in which elements form corr.pounds 5. A branch of physical chemistry concerned with t he study of rates of chemical reactions 6 . pV•K

7 . A suspension of small particles of a solid in a liquid formed by a cherr,ica! reaction 8 . A liquid capable of dissolving other materi a ls to form a solution

CHEESY CHEMISTRY COMICC 3Artist: Vivian Chen

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The Beaker Volume VII Issue II

NAME THAT MOLECULE

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- I naturally exist as an organic, colorless liquid- I am a cyclic terpene- My (R)-enantiomer occurs naturally- I can be used as a solvent and cleaner- One of my isomers has a pine scent, the other an orange scent-I have a degree of unsaturation of 3-I can be found in oils of citrus fruits

Who am I?Last Month's Molecule: Menthol

AnnouncementsAny aspect that portrays lab conduct is welcomed! Just tag us to enter and win a GRAND PRIZE . Contest will run throughout the Fall semester!

#thebeakercsulb

INSTAGRAM CONTEST: LAB PHOTO OF THE DAY