ACS-SA's 2022 September Newsletter

Our Facebook

Our Instagram

Our Website

Past Event Highlights

Welcome Social

ACS-SA kicked off the school year with our annual welcome social. We enjoyed pizza with our attendees and got started on getting to know the many new members that we were pleased to welcome into the organization this year. We then moved to the NSB auditorium to formally introduce the officer team that will be running the org in the 2022-23 school year, and to inform members about the upcoming events that we have planned for the rest of the quarter.

Chempanions Social
ACS-SA started off our annual Chempanions program with a social night designed for people in the program to get to know each other better, before we begin matching mentors and mentees. The program is designed to make being a chemist less intimidating for mentees by helping them pair up with mentors who want to share their experiences as chemistry majors at UCSD. The social featured food and mingling, as well as a more structured speed-dating activity to help facilitate bonding between mentors and mentees.

Lab Sale
In addition to our welcome week events, ACS-SA also hosted our quarterly lab sale in Revelle Plaza for students taking lab classes in need of supplies. We sold notebooks, goggles, lab coats, molecular model kits, and stickers!

Upcoming Events

Green Chemistry with John Tucker

Come join us on Wednesday, October 12th in NSB Auditorium for our green chemistry event with John Tucker from Neurocrine Biosciences, a company loacl to San Diego! He will be speaking about renewable forms of chemistry and learning how to work in more sustainable ways when in the lab. We will begin the event with food and socialization outside of 64 Degrees, before moving into NSB Auditorium to listen and ask questions.

September Officer Spotlight:
Meet the President

Sophie Nguyen

“I am a Biochemistry major, which I chose because I honestly thought it was an even mixture of biology and chemistry, which are my favorite subjects. It turned out to be much more chemistry and not much biology, but I still enjoy it. After I graduate, I’m hoping to work in the business side of a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company, either in management or operations, for a couple of years before getting my MBA. ACS-SA helped me a lot in this goal because I was able to learn more about the different careers I could go into with a chemistry degree in addition to research or medicine. The organization also assisted me in landing an internship, as I formed a connection with a company through ACS-SA’s Chemistry Career Day. I joined the organization my freshman year and was already partially familiar with it through participating in the ACS Chemistry Olympiad in high school. When I came to UCSD, I found the ACS-SA officers tabling on Ridge Walk and they all seemed very welcoming; I knew it would be a good place for me to meet friends in my major. I decided I wanted to become an officer because I joined the organization’s Intern Program and saw all of the hard work that went into the events at ACS-SA, and how passionate everyone was about supporting students. It was clear that everyone really cared about the undergraduate community and the resources they could make available to our future chemists. My advice for our members is to not be afraid to put yourself out there and do the things that you want to do, regardless of whether or not other people are doing them too.”

-Sophie Nguyen, ACS-SA President

For Sophie's full story, click here

Research and Internship Opportunities

ACS GETexperience
Research positions for undergraduate students in chemistry all across the U.S.A!

TRELS Research Grant
Research grants up to $1000 during the quarter, and $5000 during the summer

REAL Portal
Research opportunities at UCSD.

Handshake
Resource for finding internships and research opportunities

UCSD Academic Internship Program
UCSD program to connect students with internship opportunities

Recent Advances in Chemistry

POLYSEN Food Sensor Used to Detect Cancerous Nitrites in Processed Meats

While processed meats can be a delicious way to add flavor and protein to a meal, research has proven that they can cause cancer if eaten excessively. In particular, most processed meats are treated using nitrate or nitrite salts that are responsible for keeping them fresh; however, the nitrite salts can react either in a frying pan or in a stomach to form nitrosamines which have been linked to cancer. Recently, though, scientists have developed a detection system called “POLYSEN” (short for “polymeric sensor”) which is made of four monomers and hydrochloric acid and can be placed on meats before being dipped in sodium hydroxide to detect when nitrite is present in food. If nitrite is present, the POLYSEN turned a deep yellowish color. To help with identification, researchers also developed a smartphone app that self-calibrates and creates a reference chart that is overlaid in the same image as the sensor. This detection method could become a cost-effective and user-friendly way for consumers to test their foods for nitrite levels.

Read more about the POLYSEN food sensor here!

Molecule of the Month

Chlorophyll

With the changing weather and the descent into Fall, you may be wondering about the clearest indication that the season is changing: the falling leaves. One of the main molecules responsible for leaves' color is chlorophyll, a green pigment essential for photosynthesis found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. There are many different types of chlorophyll, but the structure for the main type is an aromatic chlorin ring system with a sequestered magnesium atom. It is green because chlorophyll does not use green light, which is then reflected back and gives leaves their vibrant green color. However, when the weather begins to get colder and plants start shedding their leaves, that chlorophyll breaks down and the yellow and orange colors that were previously absorbed begin to shine through.

To learn more about the chemistry in Chlorophyll, click here!