Joint with the University of Chicago Department of Chemistry -------------- The Julius Stieglitz Award Lecture |
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Speaker: | Dr.
Eloy Rodriguez James A. Perkin Professor of Environmental Studies Cornell University | |
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Topic: | Chemical Novelty from the Amazonian Jungles and Carribean Seas: Playgrounds for Synthetic Organic Chemists and Chemical Biologists | |
Where: | Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace |
Abstract: The biosynthesis that leads to the chemical diversity among simple and complex organic molecules in natural environments is indeed the spice of life in the tropical regions of the world. Amazonian spiders, plants, insects, birds and fish continue to evolve novel organic chemical structures that are used in animal defense, fitness, mating, repulsion and attraction. In many cases those molecules inhibit key biological processes and with a skill surpassing the genius of synthetic organic chemists, various organisms convert highly toxic molecules into life-savings miracles. In this presentation, highlights of drug discovery from my laboratories at UC Irvine, Cornell and the Amazon will be presented. The biological importance of complex molecules, ranging from Amazonian derived viagra-like cocktails to apoptosis-inducing (cancer-cell death) alkaloids, to those found in chemical secretion from certain birds, that have been found to kill parasites, bacteria and viruses, will be described. The birds obtain the toxic molecules by ingesting poisonous ants as a part of their diet. The talk will highlight the highly interdisciplinary nature of this research, pointing out the necessity of using organic chemistry, chemical biology and ecology in the important and never-ending search for novel molecules that will cure diseases, relieve suffering and just coincidentally, furnish great challenges for synthetic organic chemists.
Biography: Professor Eloy Eodriguez is
the James A. Perkins Professor of Biology and Natural Products Chemistry at Cornell
University in
New York. He has published over 160 research articles, 2 books and presented
invited lectures throughout the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
He received
his PhD with the organic chemist Dr.Tom Mabry at the University of Texas,
Austin in l975 and conducted postodoctoral research in the laboratory
of Dr. G.H.N. Towers at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He
was visiting professor in Medicinal Chemistry at UC San Francisco and in the
Chemistry
Department at the
University of Miami. He is currently an endowed Professor in Plant Biochemistry
and Environmental Toxicology at Cornell and has trained over 16 PhD students
in Chemistry and Chemical Biology of Natural Products. He has also provided
research training to over 350 undergraduate students, of which a large number
have been underrepresented US minorities and women. He is very interested
and involved in K-8 science education as shown by his creation of KIDS – Kids
Investigating and Discovering Science, a program which is aimed at K-8
students.
The focus of the program is to develop critical thinking and a love for
chemistry and biology. His research is funded by NIH, NSF, Hughes Medical
Institute and
private foundations. |
4:00 PM -— UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Featuring Students from the Chemistry Department of Northeastern Illinois University:
Eva Navratilova Chugh
Julia Markworth and Tom Weaver*
Ingrid J. Leal and Pratibha Varma-Nelson*
5:30 PM — Topical Group Presentation
"Illuminating the Structure and Self-Assembly of Alzheimer's ß-Amyloid Fibrils"
Date:  Friday, November 19,
2004
Drury Lane
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
630-530-8300
Undergraduate Research Symposium: 4:00
PM - 5:00 PM
Job Club: 5:00
PM - 5:45 PM
Topical Group Meeting: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Social Hour: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM -- cash bar
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Presentation of Stieglitz Lecture: 8:00 PM
Cost:  $30.00 for members of ACS/ $32.00 for non-members/ $15.00
for students
Reservations:   (847) 647-8405
                    by noon, Tuesday,
November 16
or,   REGISTER ON LINE !Please honor your reservations. We must pay for all dinners ordered. No-shows will be billed.
PARKING: Free
Dinner:
Fresh Fruit Panache
Spinach Mandarin Salad
Steak with Bearnaise sauce and Vesuvio Potatoes
or Baked Scrod with long-grain and wild rice blend
or Vegetarian Spinach and Ricotta Rotolo
buttered broccoli
fresh baked bread and butter
Deep-dish Dutch Apple Pie with cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce;