Chemistry and Biochemistry
Chemistry 305 students test and quantify the amounts of cocaine found on a variety of international currency.
Chemistry majors develop a fundamental understanding of the basic principles, models, and practices employed by chemists in characterizing the structure and behavior of matter. Students study within the five major divisions of chemistry: analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, biochemistry. The biochemistry major, at the intersection of biology and chemistry, explores the molecular processes needed for life. Both majors prepare students graduate school, entry into medical, veterinary, or pharmacy school, and careers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Chemistry and biochemistry students will choose a secondary academic focus from any other major field, but most often select biology, the neurosciences, computer science, math, and environmental studies.
St. Mary's Project (SMP)
Students conducting research have access to many modern laboratory instruments, giving them considerable advantages when they pursue careers or advanced education when they leave St. Mary's. The most significant instruments include an NMR, mass spectrometer, and an HPLC.
Some recent SMPs in chemistry and biochemistry:
- Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated byphenyls in dairy milk
- Determination of lead in tap and drinking water by anodic stripping voltammetry
- Burning down the house: A case study in forensic instrumental analysis
- Coordination compounds of 2,5-bis(4'-tert-butylpyridinium-1'-yl)-3,6-dioxy-1,4-benzoquinone
- Structural identification of an antimicrobial compound from the thermal decomposition of reducing sugars in the presence of oxygen
- Determination of hexabromocyclododecane in Chesapeake bay fish
- Design and synthesis of dual-acting nitroxide-based anti-inflammation drugs
- Development of synthesis strategies for the preparation of cyclic glucotetrasaccharide (CTS)-based gemini amphiphiles
- Zwitter ion synthesis involving reactions of chloranil with various imidazoles and pyridines
Travel Abroad
Chemists don't just stay in the laboratory at St. Mary's. Students in advanced chemistry courses at St. Mary's visited Leiden University in The Netherlands for a summer student research exchange program.
"I was a bit nervous about heading overseas when the opportunity was dropped into my lap, but I ended up in the Netherlands anyhow. The city of Leiden, however, was fairly friendly and a country bumpkin like me wasn't left horribly intimidated by the city. I spend my summer working for the University of Leiden working on sugar amino acids. These compounds are, as you might guess, a sugar modified with a carboxyl and amino end. They can then be combined with amino acids to make enzyme inhibitors and probes to study the structure of a binding site. This was my first shot at synthesis work, and I found it quite enjoyable. Anyone who has the chance to study there should certainly take it! Living in an international student house is always an adventure anyway. I have nothing but fond memories of my time there and of my work."
-- Jeremy Ryan '03
double major, chemistry & biology
Life After St. Mary's
In recent years, have begun careers in fields like environmental services, teaching, pharmaceuticals, chemical research, and nuclear power. Some have entered medical school at places like Georgetown and the University of Maryland, while others gone on to graduate study at:
- Johns Hopkins
- MIT
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Scripps Research Institute
- University of California-Berkeley
- Virginia Tech
Special Opportunities
Because of its proximity to Washington and Baltimore, St. Mary's brings top scientists to campus for informal lectures every Wednesday afternoon. They come from Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Virginia Tech, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NASA.
For more information, visit the Chemistry Department Web site at
http://www.smcm.edu/chemistry/chem-home/home.html