Category: Important!
Coastal collaboration in PET research
Trond Mohn foundation and Tromsø research foundation, both of which are based on generous donations from Trond Mohn, have granted 80 MNOK to fund half of a novel research collaboration between the universities and university hospitals in Tromsø, Trondheim and Bergen. The other half of the funding comes as own funding from the participating institutions. This so-called Coastal collaboration in PET (positron emission tomography) consists of three pilars: (i) development of new PET tracers, (ii) preclinical testing of both new and established tracers in animal models, and (iii) use of PET in clinical investigations, and the first of these is led from Bergen and coordinated by principal radiochemist at the PET center, also førsteamanuensis-II at our department, Tom Chr. Holm Adamsen. The primary objective of this proposal is to increase the number of clinically relevant radiotracers and make these available through strengthening the overall radiochemistry competence within the Coastal Consortium. This objective will be met by establishing a consortium-wide tracer implementation framework based on the experience already gained in Bergen (HUS). Tracers primarily needed for the clinical multi-center studies will be made locally available throughout the consortium. Novel tracers will be multi-center validated, drawing on the combined consortium wide expertise, competence and resources. Erwan Le Roux, Hans-Rene Bjørsvik and Bengt Erik Haug also hold central roles in the project. More information may be found in På Høyden and at the web pages of the Trond Mohn foundation.
Verden definert på nytt for oss kjemikere og andre naturvitere
Fredag 16. november i Versailles stemte Generalkonferansen for mål og vekt over foreslåtte endringer i SI-systemet. Fra og med 20.mai 2019 trer endringene, som 60 land var med å stemme fram, i kraft. 
Hele SI-systemet har vært til revidering, og hensikten har vært å knytte alle definisjoner til universalkonstanter (fundamentale fysiske størrelser som har samme verdi under alle forhold, og som ikke endrer seg over tid). Hovedenhetene som har fått nye definisjoner er:
- Mol– vil bli definert av Avogadros konstant (NA)
- Kilogram– vil bli definert av Plancks konstant (h)
- Ampere– vil bli definert av elementærladning (e)
- Kelvin– vil bli definert av Boltzmanns konstant (k)
Kilde: Justervesenet.no og snl.no, Rapportør: Anne GF.
Biofuel replacing Coal in Power plants
The current feature story at the Faculty web site is about one of the many exciting projects that Tanja Barth and her research associates are involved in, aiming at using renewable bio resources for energy «production». The article, authored by Asbjørn Leirvåg, is hereby warmly recommended!
FORSKER GRAND PRIX 2018
Også i år er Kjemisk institutt godt representert i Forsker Grand Prix når den lokale finalen går av stabelen i kveld, i Mimes brønn på Campus Kronstad, Høgskulen på Vestlandet. Dørene åpner kl. 18.00. Showet starter kl. 19.00.
Foto: Forskningsdagane i Bergen
Våre helter er Illimar Remand og Frida Johanne Lundevall, som begge er urolige over framveksten av multiresistente bakterier og opptatt av å finne nye antimikrobielle forbindelser til erstatning for dagens antibiotika. Mens Frida fokuserer på bruk av sølvholdige forbindelser, er Illimar opptatt av RNA-fragment med gen-regulatorisk funksjon. For meir bakgrunnstoff, sjå her. Møt opp i dag og heie på Frida og Illimar!
Summer time!
I wish all colleagues and students at the Chemistry department an enjoyable and invigorating Summer!
Remember to apply ample amounts of sunscreen! – Knut
June offers two important occasions to note in the calendar
June 18: HSE-day at the Chemistry dept. The event is compulsory and lasts full office hours until 15h00. Please note, you will receive invitation for a social continuation starting at 15h15. June 19: Celebrating Leiv Sydnes – chemist, educator, world citizen and in a couple of months, Emeritus Professor! Save the time-slot 12h-14h.
NRK Urix — Leiv om kjemiske våpen
På onsdag gav Urix-redaksjonen i NRK ein grundig presentasjon av kunnskapsbasen for bruk av kjemiske våpen i Syria og dei store menneskelege lidingane knytt til dette, sjå her for avspeling av programmet. 
Professor Leiv Kr. Sydnes står sentralt i det internasjonale arbeidet knytt til avvikling av kjemiske våpen. Han er ein gjennomgangsperson i Urix-programmet og gir m.a. innføring i historia til kjemiske våpen, viser kjemisk struktur av utvalde kjemiske stridsmidlar (ved imponerande tavleteknikk), og tek fram dei etiske problemstillingane som ligg bak forbodet mot kjemiske våpen. Formidling av øvste klasse.
Chemical weapons and the Responsibility of Chemists
Recent week’s events in Syria and UK have again taken chemical weapons to the headlines. Many will know about the central role that OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2013 ) plays in overseeing the implementation of and adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.)
Professor Leiv Kr. Sydnes at our department has released an insightful comment on the various claims appearing the mass media, the difficulties in tracing the origins of a specific sample of a chemical, and what it would take to curb further production of chemical weapons. Please consult his Nature Comment here. Quoting, Research chemists, especially in universities, should work to raise awareness of the chemical challenges related to the CWC. A first step would be to make the convention mandatory reading for all chemistry students. Second, OPCW educational material should be used in university courses. Third, The Hague Ethical Guidelines should be used to improve the ethical framework of the chemical profession.[Sydnes, Nature 556, 293-295 (2018)]
Professor Sydnes has contributed strongly to the work of OPCW through twice chairing the revision of the CWC, mandatory to take place every five years. He reflects on this work in an interview with På Høyden (in Norwegian) here.
Invitation to the Leiv K. Sydnes Symposium
On the occasion of Professor Leiv K. Sydnes’s 70th birthday in July, colleagues and former students are organising a two-day symposium on May 15th-16th 2018, honouring his long-standing contribution to the Norwegian and international scientific community.
(c) IUPAC
Invited speakers are Udo Brinker (State University of New York at Binghamton, USA), Janine Cossy (ESPCI Paris/CNRS/PSL Research University, France), Anita Maguire (University College Cork, Ireland), Trond Vidar Hansen (UiO), John Sigurd Mjøen Svendsen (UiT) and Magne O. Sydnes (UiS).
In addition to the invited lectures, there will be opportunities for poster presentations and short talks by the symposium participants.The symposium will take in the University Aula, 12:00-18:30 on May 15th and 09:00-13:00 on May 16th.
Deadline for abstract submission for a short talk: April 3rd
Deadline for poster abstract submission: April 20rd
Deadline for registration: April 16th.
PhD Seminar Series Kicked-off
Last month the new seminar series for PhD candidates at the chemistry department was kicked-off, and today was second meeting. The seminar series will provide valuable training in participating at and leading scientific discussions, as well as in presenting and discussing topics from your research with fellow chemists that are not necessarily experts in your own field of research. Last but not least, the seminars will serve as a meeting place where our PhD candidates can get to know each other and learn more about research outside their own group. As a rule of thumb, we will meet on the last Wednesday of the month at 9:15 in Reagensglaset. (Text: Kristine)
