Two Niagara University students were recognized for the outstanding quality of their research findings during the Western New York American Chemical Society Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 28 at the University at Buffalo.
Emily Steiner, a junior chemistry major and NUSURF student from Youngstown, N.Y., won the conference’s award for Outstanding Oral Presentation, while Maham Alamgir, a junior biochemistry major who lives in Buffalo, earned recognition for Outstanding Poster Presentation.
Steiner’s synthetic organic chemistry project focuses on finding a way to prepare the enantiomer (the unnatural mirror image at the molecular level) of an important antimalarial drug called artemisinin. This drug’s mechanism of action derives a unique peroxide bridge – two linked oxygen atoms – found within the molecule. Having the same molecular arrangement in an almost identical shape, the enantiomer is expected to have similar antimalarial properties.
Alamgir’s poster described her analytical chemistry project involving metformin, a pharmaceutical widely taken by individuals with Type-II diabetes. She has worked to validate a method to determine if pills indeed contain metformin, if they are dosed correctly, and whether or not there are degradation products in them.
Emily Steiner's synthetic organic chemistry project on artemisinin was chosen as the symposium's Outstanding Oral Presentation.
Steiner, Alamgir and other NU chemistry research students plan to present posters at the American Chemical Society National Meeting and Expo this summer in Boston.
The American Chemical Society is the world’s largest scientific society and one of the world’s leading sources of authoritative scientific information. A nonprofit organization, chartered by Congress, ACS is at the forefront of the evolving worldwide chemical enterprise and the premier professional home for chemists, chemical engineers and related professions around the globe.
To learn more about Niagara University’s chemistry programs, please visit www.niagara.edu/chemistry.