Yifan Wang, University of Georgia
Chemistry Seminar at the University of Utah
with Yifan Wang, University of Georgia
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-person seminar
Title: From Structure to Catalysis: Illuminating Unusual Heme Enzymes in RiPP Biosynthesis
by Yifan Wang, University of Georgia
Abstract: Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) represent a rapidly expanding class of natural products with remarkable structural diversity and significant therapeutic potential. Central to the biosynthesis of many RiPPs are heme-dependent tailoring enzymes that install complex chemical modifications, thereby expanding the functional and biological landscape of these molecules. Of special interest are a unique subset of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes that catalyze unusual modifications of pentapeptides, including tyrosyl nitration and aromatic crosslink formation. These chemically challenging transformations raise fundamental questions about how closely related enzymes achieve divergent catalytic outcomes. Our work…
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Giddings Lecture with Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
The Giddings Lectures at the University of Utah
with Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: The Long and Winding Road to Nanoscale Electrochemistry
by Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
From the earliest days, electrochemists sought to visualise processes at electrochemical interfaces, and this remains true today; there is an increasing variety of microscopy techniques that have been developed to investigate electrodes and electrified interfaces in-situ and operando. In this lecture, I will describe how and why I became interested in scanned electrochemical probe microscopes, and how my lab developed scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) and a general platform for electrochemical imaging. I will discuss the highs and lows, some of the challenges – technological, scientific and cultural – and the path that eventually led to a versatile and robust platform and workflows that are now used in dozens of labs around the world. Key discoveries from SECCM…
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, April 27, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
The Giddings Lecture at the University of Utah with Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
The Giddings Lecture at the University of Utah
with Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: Tales of the Unexpected: The Continuing Story of Electrochemistry at Carbon Electrodes
by Pat Unwin, University of Warwick
Abstract:A wide variety of carbon materials are used in electrochemistry, with diverse applications that include (bio)electroanalysis and sensors, batteries and fuel cells, and membranes. The family of carbon materials is broad, spanning sp2 and sp3 materials, and includes 1D carbon nanotubes, 2D graphene (and non-carbon analogues) and 3D graphite and conducting diamond, along with amorphous carbon and various composites. The electronic properties of each of these materials are further influenced by local structure and defects, method of preparation, and (for 1-D and 2-D materials) the conducting support, the number of layers, and their arrangement. Ultimately, all of these factors can influence interfacial charge transfer and electrochemistry. In…
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
Andrew McNally, Colorado State University
Organic Chemistry Seminar at the University of Utah
with Andrew McNally, Colorado State University
In-person seminar
4630 TBBC
4th floor Thatcher
Title: Chemistry for Medicinal Chemistry
with Andrew McNally, Colorado State University
Abstract: Pyridines and diazines are ubiquitous in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, yet there are limits in synthetic methods that can directly functionalize the C–H bonds in these structures. We will show three distinct approaches, using phosphorus, ring-opened intermediates and deconstruction-reconstruction, that enable selective functionalization of these heterocycles into a range of valuable derivatives. A range of C–C and C–Heteroatom bond formations are viable, and the chemistry functions on structures typically encountered in drug discovery programs. Our lab has also performed mechanistic and computational studies of the regioselectivity of these reactions and the phosphorus ligand-coupling processes involved.
Host: Qilei Zhu.
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM.