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Science Journeys - Building New Molecules: Chemistry in the Lab and at the Computer
Organic chemistry affects our lives every day, from the food we eat to the shampoo we use. Organic molecules are all around us; they can be found in plants, drinks, and the clothing that we own. In fact, many of the medicines you see in the drug store are developed through organic synthesis. Finding new ways to synthesize, or make, new organic molecules in the laboratory is an important area of research that can provide new medicines and other desirable compounds.
As computers have advanced over the years, they have become a powerful tool for inventing new chemical reactions that generate valuable organic molecules. Computational models—computer representations of something that exists in the real world—make it possible for chemists to predict the outcome of a reaction before performing an experiment in the laboratory. Computations can also allow chemists to study what we call "highly reactive molecules," or molecules that oftentimes cannot be observed in the lab.
As an organic chemist, Melissa Ramirez uses computations and experiments to construct and explore new organic molecules and to find better ways of synthesizing existing ones. Her research at Caltech focuses on developing new chemical reactions that generate spirocycles, which are important building blocks for new medicinal molecules.
Join Melissa on this journey to explore how organic chemistry affects our world and to learn how experiments and computations brought her back home to Pasadena to develop new chemistry.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2548738-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2548738-2
