Future chemists

As the International Year of Chemistry comes to a close, the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne is ending it on a high by launching new teaching laboratories.

Head of School, Professor Frances Separovic says that, as 2011 is a dedicated worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry, it is great to be opening the teaching spaces that will train the next generation of scientists.

“Because the field of chemistry is so varied and fast-moving, from medicine to environmental science, we have created innovative facilities to teach our students,” Professor Separovic says.

“These facilities are shared with our researchers who make materials for low-cost solar panels, nano-sized magnets, treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and work on a huge number of other projects.”

On 30 November, the teaching laboratories were officially opened by 2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Martin Chalfie, from Columbia University, USA. Professor Chalfie was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the green fluorescent protein (GFP), now widely used as a glowing tag, allowing scientists to follow individual proteins within a cell.

The newly opened labs are linked with equipment rooms, allowing students to receive hands-on training with the latest instrumentation used in research and industry. The laboratories are themed as analytical or synthesis and students learn skills in these labs that they will use in industries like pharmaceuticals, mining, food, cosmetics, materials and in other research facilities.

“Our new chemistry teaching spaces now also include interactive tutorial rooms for small group work as well as computer facilities and a learning centre,” Professor Separovic says.

Students work in groups of 16 with their demonstrator around large display panels with multimedia presentations of experimental methods. Each year, the teaching team will train over 3000 undergraduate students.

The Chemistry refurbishments have been staged over four years and include an upgrade of research and learning spaces. The University and the Federal Government already have invested $30m in the laboratory and learning centre refurbishments and research facility upgrades.

The project was started by former Head of the School of Chemistry, Professor Ken Ghiggino, who worked with Professor Separovic and the Building Working Group headed by Professor Anthony Wedd. The final stages are under way to upgrade the remaining research and administration areas of the School.

http://www.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au/school/redevelopment.html