Videos in Science: Current Research in Chemistry

I thought these might be useful for science teachers. Your students might like learning about how active scientists are using science research to investigate real-world issues. Thanks to Bill Bayley for forwarding it to me!

Videos provided by Purdue University Chemistry Department

Fighting Drug-resistant Malaria

Professor Christine Hrycyna and Chmielewski Research Group graduate student Hilda Namanja were featured in a WLFI-TV report on Gates Foundation malaria research. Link to video

Detecting Chemicals on Produce 

Cooks Research Group graduate student Santosh Soparawalla and postdoctoral researcher Fatkhulla Tadjimukhamedov recently took an innovative miniature mass spectrometer to the grocery store to detect chemicals on produce. Link to video

Building Molecules for Medicine

As a part of being awarded the IUPAC-Richter Prize, Professor Arun Ghosh talks to high school chemistry students about his research in designing enzyme inhibitors for treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and AIDS. Link to video

STEM Innovations for Blind Students 

Purdue Chemistry alumnus Cary Supalo and his Purdue Research Park company Independence Science develop technologies to increase hands-on experiences for blind and low vision students. He worked with Purdue Chemistry to produce several videos demonstrating safe methods to collect real-time data. Link to video

Monthly Lab Safety Message 

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has produced an important video on laboratory safety called "Experimenting with Danger." Link to video 

For questions or more information about the videos, please contact Purdue University.
Steve Scherer 
Chemistry Communications 
scherer@purdue.edu 

Christmas coal in your science stocking

Here's a fun idea to use with your Earth Science or chemistry classes at Christmas time:

I have 3 stockings hanging, with the question--Which type of Carbon do you want in your stocking?  I have a pencil in one; coal in the next; and a HUGE diamond-ring ornament I found at Pier One Import store.

I give the kids pencils and a coupon for a homework pass as a gift.  I tell them that they've been so good they don't get coal...and I'm not rich enough to give them diamonds...so I'm giving them graphite!  They are appreciative.  I used to give out pencils with snowflakes on them (crystalline solids)...but a few years back, they requested the "yellow" ones, because the "fun" ones don't sharpen well!!  :)

Idea by Karen Delgado. Used with permission.