Undergraduate students from this year鈥檚 CHEM4000 and BCHM4000 Research Project Course travelled to Western University on Saturday, April 6 to present their senior thesis projects at the 52nd Southwestern Ontario Undergraduate Chemistry Conference. 91亚色鈥檚 Chemistry and Biochemistry undergraduate students Juan Valencia (Wilson Lab), Arman Parham (VandenBoer Lab), Kristina Gremi (Hili Lab), Samin Tavokoli (Johnson Lab), Hannah Le (Baumgartner Lab) and Manisha Kumari (van Wijngaarden Lab) were among 150 undergraduates from 15 universities who presented on a broad range of modern topics in chemistry and biochemistry.

Congratulations to Manisha Kumari, who received first place in the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry division, and Hannah Le, who earned second place in the Materials Chemistry division. As well, congratulations to all of our undergraduate students on their research projects and to their research mentors who have supported them all year.

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A research study led by chemistry Professor Christine Le, titled was honoured with the from The Journal of Organic Chemistry.

The award recognizes a paper from the previous year that demonstrates creativity and impact in the field of organic chemistry, with a focus on early-career researchers. 鈥淭his publication was my first independent paper, so it feels incredibly rewarding to have our chemistry already recognized for its impact on the community,鈥� said Le, who co-authored the study with 91亚色 doctoral student Dusty Cadwallader, master of science alumni Tristan R. Tiburcio, and undergraduate student George A. Cieszynski. The paper was also among the top six most read articles in the journal in 2022.

Le鈥檚 research study presents an innovative approach to making molecules called carbamoyl fluorides in an efficient way that avoids the use of light-, moisture-, temperature-, and shock-sensitive reagents. Her findings expand the toolbox for chemists interested in making and using carbamoyl fluorides for research and drug development, including employing them in reactions to add fluorine to medicinal compounds, as demonstrated in a recently published study by Le and colleagues in the .

鈥淎dding fluorine to a drug molecule can drastically improve its medicinal properties, by making it more potent and stable for instance,鈥� said Le. 鈥淚n fact some of the most widely prescribed medicines contain fluorine, and developing new ones is an area of pursuit for researchers in the pharmaceutical industry.鈥�

By following the reactions outlined in Le鈥檚 paper, chemists can now easily create carbamoyl fluorides in a laboratory setting, which will allow researchers to further study their applications in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and drug development.

The research team will be honoured in August during a symposium at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco, California.

Read the journal鈥檚 award announcement .

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Nestmann鈥檚 gift of $200,000, matched by the Faculty of Science for a total of $400,000, will create the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Award (ENURA) program to support paid 16-week positions for students to work in 91亚色 research labs over the summer term. Starting in 2023, ENURAs will support six students every summer, until the funds are fully expended.

鈥淲e are incredibly grateful to Earle for his gift, an impactful investment in the future of our students,鈥� said Rui Wang, dean of the Faculty of Science. 鈥淧roviding more opportunities for our students to do hands-on research is critical because it gives them exposure to what research really involves, allows them to learn new skills and helps them make more informed choices about their career paths. Earle鈥檚 gift will change the lives of dozens of students.鈥�

Together with his wife Berna, Nestmann has supported 91亚色 science students and faculty for more than 15 years, including the Dean鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Awards and Science Exploration Camps for elementary and secondary students. The Earle Nestmann Scholarship was established in 2008 for master鈥檚 or doctoral students studying molecular biology or genetics. In 2021, Nestmann received a 91亚色 Alumni Award for his significant contribution to the advancement of 91亚色 and its students through exceptional service, commitment and philanthropic contributions.

Nestmann has both a MSc and PhD in biology from 91亚色. After his studies at 91亚色, he served in the Biology Department as assistant professor from 1974-77, and later as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association from 2006-14 and the Board of Governors from 2013-21.

He has published more than 100 articles in the scientific literature and was co-editor of the proceedings of an international conference on chemical mutagenesis and of a laboratory manual on recombinant DNA technology. He has served on several editorial boards for scientific journals and was president of the Genetics Society of Canada. He was a research scientist at Health Canada and pesticide regulatory manager for a multi-national company before becoming a principal of an international consulting firm. Nestmann continues to consult part-time as president of Health Science Consultants Inc., serving on international expert panels as well as writing reports, scientific opinions, and manuscripts for publication.

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