GLCACS 19th Annual Conference - Innovations and Emerging Trends in the Realm ofChemistry and Chemical Engineering

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• Time & Location:

Saturday, May 2nd, 2015, 8:40 am – 6:00 pm

Northwestern University

Technology Institute, Lecture Room 3,

2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208

• Eevent Agenda:

8:40-9:00 Registration

9:00-9:10 Networking & Presentation Preparation

9:10-9:30 Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:30-10:05 The Journey to Consulting and Packaging Hall of Fame

Dr. Boh C. Tsai (Managing Director, Amerasia Technologies & Packaging Hall of Fame member)

10:05-10:20 Break

10:20-10:55 Air Purification Technologies for Aircraft Cabin Applications

Dr. Stephen F. Yates (Engineer Fellow, Aerospace Advanced Technology, Honeywell)

10:55-11:30 Product Design and Development in the Molecular Diagnostic Space: an Exciting and Fulfilling Career Path

Dr. Shihai Huang (R&D Director of Assay development, Abbott Laboratories)

11:30-13:30 Career fair, Lunch Break, and Networking

13:30-14:05 Neglected Tropical Disease Research: Macrolides to Treat Infectious Pathogens in Chagas Disease

Dr. Steve Wittenberger (Distinguished Research Fellow, Director for Organic

Chemistry, Development Sciences, AbbVie)

14:05-14:40 Basic Research from Natural Photosynthesis to Synthetic Solar Fuel and Solar Electricity Conversion Systems

Dr. Lin X. Chen (Professor of Northwestern University & Senior Scientist of Argonne National Laboratory)

14:40-14:50 Break

14:50-17:20 Student Research Presentation Contest

17:20-17:40 Presentation Contest Ballot Casting and Break

17:40-18:00 Presentation Awards & Closing Remark

18:30-20:00 Dinner Reception

China Town (中国楼), 6121 Dempster St Morton Grove, IL, 60053

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• Guest Speakers:

The Journey to Consulting and Packaging Hall of Fame - Dr. Boh Tsai

Dr. Boh Tsai

Packaging Hall of Fame member

Managing Director, Amerasia Technologies (Formerly Amoco Chemicals and merican Can)

Packaging Hall of Fame Plastics in Packaging Editorial Board member

Abstract

Dr. Tsai will share his journey as 22 years in packaging corporations and 15 years in packaging consulting firms, which leads him into the Packaging Hall of Fame. He will also introduce his technical achievements and give some pointers of being a consultant.

Biography

For 37 years, Boh C. Tsai, Ph.D., has been a pioneer in barrier plastic packaging and has made major contributions to the field of shelf stable foods.

Tsai’s team at American Can commercialized the OMNI® container, the first retortable plastic food container, which received DuPont’s first-ever Award for Packaging Innovation in 1987. In the 1990s, at Amoco Chemicals, Tsai led the development of Amosorb oxygen-scavengers technology — technology that earned him a second DuPont Award in 1996. A year later, he was given the Isker Award for an innovative packaging system he created for the U.S. military.

As a consultant to Mullinix Packages, Tsai, the founder and managing director of Amerasia Technologies, directed the development and commercialization of the OxyRxTM oxygen-scavenging PET container, which can maintain zero oxygen permeation for more than four years.

The container is fully recyclable in the PET chain, and has been described as a breakthrough in barrier packaging.

Tsai has received 19 U.S. patents for barrier properties of EVOH copolymers, oxygen scavengers for active barrier packaging, package design and polyester foam. Among the patents are nearly 450 worldwide citations. Today, he’s the managing director of Amerasia Technologies and sits on the editorial board of Plastics in Packaging magazine.

Dr. Tsai obtained his B.A. from National Taiwan University and Ph.D. from the University of Akron. He also obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago.

Air Purification Technologies for Aircraft Cabin Applications - Dr. Stephen F. Yates

Dr. Stephen F. Yates

Engineer Fellow, Aerospace Advanced Technology, Honeywell

Abstract

Aircraft crew and passengers have focused increased attention on aircraft cabin air quality. Although the cabin is ventilated using outside air, which is generally very pure, there is increasing interest for ensuring the supply of high quality air in locations where the outside air is contaminated, during equipment malfunction, and when air contaminants or odors are generated within the aircraft cabin. Aircraft air quality equipment must operate under conditions of high flow rate, severe weight and volume limitations, and low power. Moreover, contaminants to be removed are present at very low concentrations. Adsorptive technologies can be effective, but are frequently heavy, can become secondary sources because of their adsorbed inventory, and often impose costly maintenance schedules. Catalytic oxidation has advantages of broader effectiveness, greater reliability, and less maintenance. To be effective, catalytic oxidation units must have high activity to achieve high conversion and limited byproduct formation in a very small and light system. This paper will discuss air purification technologies developed for use on recirculated cabin air. For recirculated cabin air, a photocatalytic air purifier is the primary contaminant removal technology. Laboratory studies have been used to develop a durable and highly effective photocatalyst which, in the presence of ultraviolet lamps, converts air contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. Scale up of this technology to a 500 cfm scale has allowed demonstration of the effectiveness of this technique under realistic conditions.

Biography

Dr. Stephen F. Yates is a Research Fellow for Honeywell Aerospace Advanced Technology. He is a member of the Center for Catalysis and Separations, Des Plaines, IL. He joined UOP LLC in 1984, under the tutelage of Dr. Norman Li, and has remained in Des Plaines working successively for UOP, AlliedSignal and Honeywell. He is the author of 45 U.S. patents and many publications, and has made contributions in the areas of membrane science, indoor air quality, adsorptive separations, and photochemistry. Dr. Yates obtained his B.A. from Williams College and Ph.D. from Cornell University, after which he conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois.

Product Design and Development in the Molecular Diagnostic Space: anExciting and Fulfilling Career Path - Dr. Shihai Huang

Dr. Shihai Huang

R&D Director of Assay development, Abbott Laboratories

Abstract

Molecular diagnostics (MDx) is a fast growing segment within the medical technology industries. A career in MDx offers a great channel to make direct, meaningful and positive impact on people’s life and well-being. It is also a vehicle to scientific accomplishment and personal success. Dr. Huang will give an overview of the MDx industry, discuss the process of design and development of MDx products, and introduce Abbott Molecular, its products and talent needs.

Biography

Shihai Huang, Ph.D., started his career at Abbott in 2002 as a Senior Scientist at Abbott Diagnostics. He currently serves as a Director, Assay Development at Abbott Molecular R&D. Over the years at Abbott, he has led and overseen the development of several molecular diagnostic assays in the areas of infectious disease, oncology and companion diagnostics. He is currently leading assay development program in support of a next-generation molecular diagnostic platform.

Dr. Huang is an expert in the development of molecular diagnostic technologies and IVD products. He has made several significant accomplishments that contributed to the growth of Abbott Molecular’s business. Dr. Huang served as the leading scientist in the design and development of Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay, which is widely regarded as the best-in-class HIV-1 viral load test. He developed and launched Abbott RealTime High Risk HPV assay for accurate detection and typing of oncogenic HPV viruses. He launched Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Qualitative assay for early infant HIV-1 diagnosis. He managed the development and launch of Abbott RealTime BRAF assay for sensitive and robust detection of SNPs critical for melanoma and colorectal cancer management. Furthermore, Dr. Huang managed the development of several companion diagnostic assays in collaboration of pharmaceutical companies. In addition to product development, Dr. Huang has authored or co-authored many publications and book chapter, and is an inventor on issued and pending patents.

Dr. Huang obtained his doctorate degree in Biological Sciences from Northwestern University. He received a number of awards within and outside Abbott, among which a Chicago Innovation Award for his work developing the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay. Dr. Huang was inducted in Abbott’s Volwiler Society in 2013.

Neglected Tropical Disease Research: Macrolides to Treat Infectious Pathogens in Chagas Disease - Dr. Steve Wittenberger

Dr. Steve Wittenberger

Distinguished Research Fellow, Volwiler Society

Director of Organic Chemistry, Development Sciences

AbbVie, Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Abstract

AbbVie has established strategic alliances with key stakeholders to leverage internal expertise and resources through a selection of short-, medium- and long-term projects to fight neglected tropical disease. In collaboration with the Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative, a screen of the AbbVie macrolide antibiotic collection identified a series of compounds with activity against T.cruzi, a pathogen associated with Chagas disease. A scalable synthetic route to a late-stage synthetic intermediate was developed and several analogues were prepared for addition in vitro testing and pharmacokinetic profiling. The in vivo efficacy against T. cruzi of a lead candidate

was evaluated and will be described.

AbbVie contributed to the design, research, and interpretation of data, writing, reviewing, and approving the publication. Steven J. Wittenberger was an AbbVie employee at the time that he worked on this project.

Biography

Dr. Steven J. Wittenberger has extensive experience in CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) aspects of drug development and particular expertise in the development of synthetic chemistry to enable preparation of API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) for preclinical and clinical use. While at AbbVie, he has worked in both process chemistry and medicinal chemistry. Dr. Wittenberger is an author on more than thirty scientific publications and inventor on twenty-two issued US patents.

Academic Information

x BS in Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 1983

x Ph.D. in Chemistry, The University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1988

x Post-doctoral Research Fellow, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, 1989

Basic Research from Natural Photosynthesis to Synthetic Solar Fuel and Solar Electricity Conversion Systems - Dr. Lin X. Chen

Dr. Lin X. Chen

Professor of Northwestern University

Senior Scientist of Argonne National Laboratory

Abstract

Fundamental processes in solar energy conversion involve photon-matter interactions through light harvesting, excited state formation and subsequent conversion to electricity, heat and fuels. Natural photosynthetic systems have demonstrated principles and key factors in light to electricity/fuel conversion, but extensive research needs to be carried out in search of optimal structural, energetic and dynamic parameters for efficient synthetic systems for solar energy conversion. Intense X-ray pulses from DOE supported synchrotrons and X-ray free electrons lasers coupled with ultrafast lasers open up new opportunities to reveal transient structural information as photochemical processes take place in photocatalysts, photosensitizers, and photovoltaic materials. In particular, element dependent electronic configurations (e.g., molecular orbital vacancies), transient oxidation states of metal centers in catalysts can be unambiguously identified with accompanying nuclear geometric transformations. Such studies combined with materials design with chemically modified structural factors can provide feedback for generating efficient, cost-saving, and durable materials. The lecture will provide an overview of current solar fuel and solar electricity research highlighted by the work using intense X-ray pulses to take molecular snapshots/movies. These results have a tremendous impact on our understanding of the coupling between the electron transfer and structural control parameters of participating partners in solar fuel and solar electricity generation. The lecture will also describe new direction in organic photovoltaics, in which the conventional models are challenged due to intrinsic molecular charge transfer characters. The results imply that charge-transfer polymers, which are already achieving record-breaking efficiencies, can be predictably altered to enhance corresponding device efficiency by optimizing the electron-withdrawing or -pushing interaction of neighboring backbone building blocks to facilitate exciton dissociation.

Biography

Lin X. Chen is a Senior Chemist in Argonne National Laboratory and a Professor of Chemistry at Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University. Her research is currently focused on ultrafast transient molecular structural studies in solar energy conversion processes and structures-dynamics-efficiency correlations in organic photovoltaic materials using ultrafast laser and X-ray spectroscopies and X-ray structural characterization. She received her B.Sc. from Peking University and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. After her postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley, she joined Argonne National Laboratory as a staff scientist. She is an AAAS Fellow and has won distinguished performance award at Argonne. Her group website is at http://chemgroups.northwestern.edu/chen_group/.

Conference brochure

• Event Highlights:

  
  

• Graduate Research Presentation Contest Awardees: