Damian Moran

"Damo"

MURF Fellow

Qualifications
MSc(Hons)
1st Class 1999
@ Macquarie University

PhD 2003
@ University of Georgia, USA

Email: dmoran@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Design of new fluorescent probes

Academic History

• Doctor of Philosophy 1999-2003 @ University of Georgia
  • Supervisor: Paul von Rague Schleyer and Henry Fritz Schaefer III
  • Thesis: Applications of Electronic Structure Computations to the Solution of Chemical Problems

• Master of Science (Hons) 1999 @ Macquarie University
  • Supervisor: Dr. Peter Karuso, Macquarie University
  • Thesis: Computer aided design of FKBP12 ligands

Selected Publications

H. L. Woodcock, D. Moran, R. W. Pastor, A. D. MacKerell and B. R. Brooks (2007) "Ab initio Modeling of Glycosyl Torsions and Anomeric Effect in a Model Carbohydrate: 2-Ethoxy Tetrahydropyran", Biophysical J., 91, in press.

Woodcock, H. Lee; Moran, Damian; Brooks, Bernard R.; Schleyer, Paul v. R.; Schaefer, Henry F. III (2007) "Carbene Stabilization by Aryl Substituents. Is Bigger Better?", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 129, 3763-3770.

D. Moran, A. C. Simmonett, F. E. Leach, W. D. Allen, P. v. R. Schleyer and H. F. Schaefer (2006) "Popular Theoretical Methods Predict Benzene and Arenes to be Non-Plana", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 128, 9342-9343.

D. Moran, H. L. Woodcock, Z. Chen, H. F. Schaefer and P. v. R. Schleyer (2003) "On the Viability of Small Endohedral Hydrocarbon Cage Complexes: X@C₄H₄, X@C₈H₈, X@C₈H₁₄, X@C₁₀H₁₆, X@C₁₂H₁₂ and X@C₁₆H₁₆", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 11442-11451.

D. Moran, F. Stahl, H. F. Bettinger, H. F. Schaefer and P. v. R. Schleyer (2004) "Towards Graphite: Magnetic Properties of Large Polybenzenoid Hydrocarbons", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2003, 6746-6752.

Felix Cleemann

"The Cat!"

Research Fellow

Qualifications
Dipl. Chem 2003
University of Cologne
Germany

PhD 2006
University of Cologne
Germany

Email: fcleeman@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Activity based chemical proteomics of cysteine proteases based on sulfinamide probes

Academic History

• Feodor-Lynen-Fellowship (2006-2007), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

• PhD @ Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Cologne 2003-2006
  • Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A. Berkessel
  • Thesis: Development of Organocatalytic Methods for the Enantioselective Synthesis of Amino Acids

• Diploma in Chemistry (Dipl.-Chem.) @ Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Cologne 2003
  • Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A. Berkessel
  • Thesis: Investigation of a Novel Linker Concept for the Solid Phase Synthesis of Cyclic Peptides

Publications

A. Berkessel, S. Mukherjee, T. N. Müller, F. Cleemann, K. Roland, M. Brandenburg, J.-M. Neudörfl and J. Lex (2006). "Structural optimization of thiourea-based bifunctional organocatalysts for the highly enantioselective dynamic kinetic resolution of azlactones", Org. Biomol. Chem., in press

A. Berkessel, S. Mukherjee, F. Cleemann, T. N. Müller and J. Lex (2005). "Second-generation Organocatalysts for the Highly Enantioselective Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Azlactones", Chem. Commun., 1898-1900.

A. Berkessel, F. Cleemann, S. Mukherjee, T. N. Müller and J. Lex (2005). "Highly Efficient Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Azlactones by Urea-Based Bifunctional Organocatalysts", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 44, 807-811.

A. Berkessel, F. Cleemann and S. Mukherjee (2005). "Kinetic Resolution of Oxazinones: An Organocatalytic Approach to Enantiomerically Pure β-Amino Acids", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 44, 7466-7469.

Sudhir Shengule

"Sootie"

PhD Student

Qualifications
B.Sc. 1998
M.Sc. 2000
@ Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar Marathwada
University

Email: sshengule@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Chemical Biology of Marine Natural Products
  • Isolation and characterisation of biologically active compounds from marine sponges
  • The development of techniques to immobilise biologically active natural products onto solid (polymeric) supports
  • Identification of the cellular receptors for these biologically active natural products using proteomics and T7 phage display

Experience

• 2001-2003 - Project Assistant @ National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

• "Rational design, synthesis and screening of new antimicrobial macrolides"

Publications

Shengule, S. R. and Karuso, P. (2006) "Concise synthesis of the marine natural product ageladine A" Org. Lett., 8(18), 4083-4. PDF

Conference Presentations

Subhash P. Chavan, K. Pasupathy, Venkatraman and Sudhir Shengule (2003). "Utilization of olefin metathesis and ring closure towards the synthesis of antitumor alkaloids and natural products" Presented in CRSI, national symposium in chemistry-5 held at CLRI, Chennai, India.

Robert Laich

"Robbie"

PhD Student

Qualifications
BSc (Hons) 2003
Applied Marine Biology
Heriot Watt University
Edinburgh

Email: rlaich@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Marine Natural Products Chemistry
  • Chemical Ecology of Marine Sponges

Academic History

• BSc (Hons) 2003 @ Heriot Watt
  • Thesis: Analysis of a Signalling System Involved in the Secretion of Antimicrobial Compounds by the Marine Bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus pumilus
  • Supervisor: Prof. Grant Burgess

Experience

• Commercial Diver
  • HSE-4 Scientific SCUBA Diver
  • IANTD - Basic EANX
  • HSE Class 4 Health and Safety

Peter Khoury

"Ramsey"

PhD Student

Qualifications
BSc (Hons) 2000
Trent University
Canada

MSc 2003
University of Guelph
Canada

Email: pkhoury@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Reverse Chemical Proteomics
  • Isolation and characterisation of biologically active compounds from marine sponges
  • The development of techniques to immobilise biologically active natural products onto solid (polymeric) supports
  • Identification of the cellular receptors for these biologically active natural products using T7 phage display

Academic History

• MSc. 2003, University of Guelph
  • Supervisors: Prof. J. D. Goddard, Prof. W. Tam

• BSc.(Hons), 2000, Trent University
  • Supervisor: Prof. E. Lewars

Certification

• PADI certified rescue diver
• DAN oxygen administration and first aid

Publications

• "Ring Strain Energies: Substituted Rings, Norbornanes, Norbornenes and Norbornadienes." Tetrahedron, 2004, Vol. 60, 8103
• "Ruthenium-catalyzed [2+2] Cycloadditions Between 7-Substituted Norbornadienes and Alkynes: An Experimental and Theoretical Study." J. Org. Chem., 2004, Vol. 69, 8467

Michael Gotsbacher

"TBA"

PhD Student

Qualifications
BPharm 2000
Leopold-Franzens-University
Austria

MPharm 2006
University of Vienna
Austria

Email: mgotsbac@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Reverse Chemical Proteomics
  • Isolation and characterisation of biologically active compounds from marine sponges
  • The development of techniques to immobilise biologically active natural products onto solid (polymeric) supports
  • Identification of the cellular receptors for these biologically active natural products using T7 phage display

Academic History

• MPharm. 2006, University of Vienna
  • Analysis of steroidal sapogenins from Dioscorea sp.
  
  

  Certification

  • PADI certified diver
  • DAN oxygen administration and first aid
  
  

  Publications

  
  

Prof John Woollard

"pomme"

Sabbatical Visitor
Cananda
Qualifications
BA(Hon) 1970
Oxford
UK

MA 1972
Oxford
UK

DPhil 1975
Oxford
UK

Email: jwoollar@chem.mq.edu.au

Project

• Natural Products from Basotho Medicinal Plants
  • Extraction and isolation of bioactive natural products from traditional medicinal plants of Southern Africa (Lesotho)