This course is for Biological Chemistry PhD students rotating in research labs.

This course is for Biological Chemistry PhD students rotating in research labs.

The ability to communicate original, written research proposals is essential to the modern chemist. This course, for graduate students in the organic and inorganic divisions, will promote development of proposal writing skills. Students will develop original ideas, practice written work, graphic design and peer review. Outcomes of the course will include writing (and submission, when eligible) of an NSF GRFP application and a 'proposed work' section of a candidacy exam report.

Students will learn the key components in proposal writing and develop the skills needed to prepare a compelling and original graduate research proposal. The course involves significant writing, in-class discussions and presentations.

This course examines the structure and organization of the chemical literature and introduces techniques of searching this literature, focusing on the logic and thought processes necessary for effective information retrieval. Each technique is illustrated using information tools available at the University of Pennsylvania, and we take an "under the hood" look at the organization and functionality of each tool introduced. Students should choose a course section based on their preferred area of chemistry research: organic, inorganic, biological, and physical chemistry; all four sections are taught at a level appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Topics vary by section, but all students learn the basics of subject, author, structure, and reaction searching, and a unit on ethics in publication and scholarly communication completes the course.

This course examines the structure and organization of the chemical literature and introduces techniques of searching this literature, focusing on the logic and thought processes necessary for effective information retrieval. Each technique is illustrated using information tools available at the University of Pennsylvania, and we take an "under the hood" look at the organization and functionality of each tool introduced. Students should choose a course section based on their preferred area of chemistry research: organic, inorganic, biological, and physical chemistry; all four sections are taught at a level appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Topics vary by section, but all students learn the basics of subject, author, structure, and reaction searching, and a unit on ethics in publication and scholarly communication completes the course.

The course covers selected topics in bioinorganic chemistry; special emphasis is placed on dioxygen chemistry and electron transfer processes. Course topics include: (i) oxygen uptake and utilization; (ii) diatomic oxygen trans port; (iii) diatomic and monoatomic oxygen incorporation into substrates; (iv) metalloenzyme-catalyzed C-C bond formation; (v) the metallobiochemistry of DNA; (vi) metal-sulfide proteins; (vii) manganese-containing metalloproteins; (viii) Photosystem II: light-driven electron transfer and the biological water-splitting reaction; (ix) biological electron transfer; (x) electron transfer theory; (xi) mechanisms of energy storage and release; and (xii) long-distance electron transfer reactions.

This course encompasses a comprehensive survey of the chemistry and properties of the p-block elements of the periodic table. Topics include syntheses, structures and reactivities of important compounds. In addition, alternative bonding theories which have been used to explain the unique properties of these compounds are critically examined.

This course is focused on molecular species that contain metal-carbon bonds, and the role of these compounds in catalytic processes and organic synthesis. Aspects of the synthesis, structure and reactivity of important classes of organometallic compounds such as metallo alkyl, aryl, alkene, alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes are surveyed for the d and f block metals. Emphasis is placed on general patterns of reactivity and recurring themes for reaction mechanisms.

Chem 558 covers basic fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy, as well as advanced topics such as single molecule spectroscopy and non-linear and super-resolution microscopies. In addition to lectures, the course includes hands-on laboratory 'field trips' where students will collect and analyze data relevant to course topics. There are weekly homework assignments that include problems based on the lectures as well as reading of primary literature.