Page 19 - Periodic Issue 04
P. 19
A Unique Oxford
Experience: the Chemistry
Part II
The Part II, which has had a very similar format for the past 100 years,
(in unison) was ’research please’. Prof is very much the jewel in the crown of the Oxford Chemistry course.
pointedly asked who on earth would It gives students a unique opportunity to carry out original research,
have us? The answer was that Geoffrey enabling them to apply the knowledge and understanding they have
Young and Dr William Waters were gained over the preceding three years. Part II students choose their
prepared to take us on. research project from a wide range of fields – from theoretical and
computational chemistry to organic synthesis – and spend a whole year
‘Well, I do not wish to see you again so working on a cutting-edge project with world-leading researchers.
you both better get on with it’ was the
response. Years later I was amazed to The Part II offers an invaluable opportunity to sample life as a
find at the RSC (where I was pleased to professional chemist and to develop initiative and critical thinking
have been voted a fellow) the portraits skills. Part II research projects have led to the publication of a great
of HR Perkins and Sir Ewart hanging many articles in the scientific literature, and even to significant
side by side, smiling at me. advances in our understanding of many areas of chemistry.
Throughout the next two years,
whenever the class was practical
organic, Terry and I ‘assisted’ in the labs
and made many friends in the research
groups we joined. Bruce Merryfield
played a key part in my life because of
his development of solid phase peptide
synthesis which led to a lifelong interest
in affinity chromatography and the
phenyl boronate based HbA1c test that
every diabetic knows well. I did my
part II with T G Halsall – this ended
up as a synthetic project with Michael
Whitehouse and the invention of a new
method to hydrolyse hindered methyl Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013), British Prime Minister from 1979
esters with lithium iodide and DMF. to 1990, completed her Part II under the supervision of Nobel Laureate
I made 4-5 grams of diazomethane Dorothy Hodgkin and worked as an industrial chemist before entering
at 3 o’clock in the morning with no– politics.
one else in the building. My sister
could have foreseen what might have
happened but the fact that quality
teaching will out meant that all went How did your Part II shape your career?
well.
It is almost one hundred years since the first Part II thesis
If it had not been for the DP, I would was completed in 1917, and we would love to hear your
not have worked with the Biochemistry stories and recollections of how this unique experience
Department, nor done a post-doc with shaped your future. Please get in touch with Susan Davis,
Corey and Bloch, nor would I have I Alumni Relations and Communications Officer, Depart-
have helped the 400 million diabetics ment of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
in the world live more easily with their Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, or
condition and neither would I now
have an Oxford DSc! email alumni@chem.ox.ac.uk. We will publish a selection
of your stories in the next edition of Periodic. Thank you!
19
Periodic
The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry
