Today’s Organic 1 class covered diastereomers, resolution, and asymmetric catalysis. The Chemistry @NobelPrize #chemnobel fit in perfectly. So I ended class with a song. With apologies to @DollyParton: “Proline” sung to Jolene. Congratulations @ListLaboratory @MacMillan_Lab!

Rilo Kiley is my favorite answer to this question.

And a notification that the just-accepted paper has also been chosen to feature of the journal front cover! Details to follow on publication!

On @ChemRxiv, we describe the synthesis of the novel amino acid 2-mercaptophenylalanine (via a copper-mediated cross-coupling reaction with an N-terminal 2-iodo-Phe on solid phase) and its application in NCL as a phenylalanine surrogate. https://t.co/gXqEOdnG1q

One paper accepted today and also one new manuscript appearing on @ChemRxiv makes for a good day.

First day of 50th grade! First day of my 25th year at @UDelaware!

Gordon Conference karaoke also reminds me that Gen Z properly loves Joan Jett. And that their parents are decidedly Gen X.

Though it should be noted that Erick seemed particularly enthusiastic about singing multiple songs from Queen.

I had my doubts about Gordon Conference karaoke. I was wrong. Do you wonder what it’s like to see Erick Carreira sing “Country Roads” or Rick Danheiser enthusiastically belt out “Sweet Caroline”? Exactly.

Microsoft, all we’re asking for in Word is for the ability to place or subtly move individual graphics without playing random reformatting roulette, with graphics and text flying everywhere, never to return whence they came.

Check out our work on protein editing!

“You have caused confusion and delay.”

And also, this:

Hanging out with former students is the best.

“I’ve got 4 Red Bulls and a dream.” - one student’s proclamation on arriving to take his Organic 1 final.

Grad student tuition used to be an accounting charge for students serving as TAs ($ via undergrad tuition) or RAs (grant $). Upper administrations have (1) ridiculously increased grad tuition costs and (2) weaponized them to extract real $$$ from colleges, departments, grants.

They blame the union contract, but the key quote here is the casual line “The university also continues to pay for Ph.D. students’ tuition.” This is the shell game that upper administration is using, hard, to squeeze colleges of arts and sciences and departments.

At a department faculty meeting, discussing the dramatically new budget model that is being imposed on us by upper administration and by our college. The model is obviously dramatic and disastrous. Our university and college are trying to kill us.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Megh Raj Bhatt to @MontclareLabs! Megh received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from @ZondloLab at @UDelaware. He will be conducting research on protein engineered materials fortherapeutic applications. #postdoclife #lablife

Student during office hours: “What year did you start teaching here?” me: “2001” Student: “That’s so cool! My Mom’s friend said he took organic chemistry from you in 2003! He said he loved it!” … So that’s a new one. I am now into a second generation of students taught. #old

Electronic Control of Polyproline II Helix Stability via the Identity of Acyl Capping Groups: the Pivaloyl Group Particularly Promotes PPII (Megh R. Bhatt and Neal J. Zondlo @ZondloLab)