Para el Lunes pasado tuvimos que presentar un posible discurso para una ponencia. El tema era: “La química de las plantas”. El trabajo, posteriormente, era evaluado y sería corregido por el evaluador. Teníamos que considerar difrentes parametros para su aceptación o rechazo: ideas coherentes, ideas novedosas, vocabulario correcto, orden claro y lógico, concreto y claro, bibliografía de contraste.

Mi tema en especial se refería a la fotosíntesis como punto de partida para la realización de dispositivos tecnológicos para obtener energía del sol, basándonos en la tranferencia de carga que hay al ser irradiado los complejos fotoquímicos de la planta. Relacionado con el tema, ha salido una interesante respuesta a una extremadamente inteligente y simple pregunta de Michelle Chang en la revista Chemical Biology (ACS):

Which do you think is easier and why: Increasing the photoefficiency of solar cells or those of plants (i.e. switchgrass, algae, etc.)?

Y la respuesta por parte del experto:

“That’s an interesting and complex question to which I don’t have an answer. Although both solar cells and photosynthesis covert sunlight to energy, the issues and milestones surrounding full-scale adoption of solar cell and biomass technology are very different. For example, a photovoltaic (PV) takes light energy and converts it direct-current (DC) electricity while a plant uses photons to synthesize ATP, which is consumed during growth or biomass production. Fundamental and applied PV research has already led to impressive increases in efficiencies ranging from ~5-10% in the mid-1970s to ~40% in the GaInP/GaInAs/Ge cells of today. However, the major barrier turns out to be the high cost of the materials used to build solar devices; consequently, the best commercial solar cells are operating at about half of the efficiency of the top materials in development. As we continue to explore and study new materials, solar cells will also make corresponding increases in efficiency and/or cost”.

“Considering biomass as a solar-derived energy feedstock presents a distinct set of challenges compared to solar cells. The light-mediated charge separation reaction that stores chemical energy in the form of ATP is the actual biological analogue to a PV and is thought to operate at near-perfect efficiency. Improvements in this area can be related to engineering the leaf canopy, so that the top and bottom of the plant could receive more equivalent photon flux densities, or increasing the capacity of the plant to recover from photoprotection responses. However, a major limitation in photosynthetic efficiency is found in ability to use CO₂ more effectively in the downstream dark reactions of carbon fixation and sugar or starch biosynthesis. Rubisco, the enzyme responsible for the first step in the Calvin cycle, is both remarkably slow and inefficient. Engineering of Rubisco for both catalytic activity and CO₂ specificity as well as pathways for CO₂ trapping and concentration are all active areas of research that have increased photosynthetic efficiency. Enhancement of downstream sink biochemical or transport pathways for sugar and starch metabolism has also shown increased yields. Although living systems are very complex, the large number of traits that can affect photosynthetic efficiency actually means that there is more opportunity for synergistic improvements, as supported by modeling studies. As we learn more about the machinery through biochemistry, comparative genomics, and plant engineering, our ability to engineer and select for increased photosynthetic efficiency will only continue to improve”.

En anteriores post hemos hablado de la posibilidad de la utilización de polimeros orgánicos. Pero cuales son las condiciones, cuáles son los mejores grupos cromoforos. No es fácil pero me gusta que sea crea que imposible porque de esta manera hay motivos para continuar trabajando…   

 

Aunque parezca algo sin sentido o innecesario, es totalmente imprescindible a la hora de realizar una charla, comunicar información. Es necesario tener las ideas ordenadas y seguir un orden lógico para mejorar la comprensión de la información.

Hoy en día, Internet ofrece una multitud de de formas ágiles, eficaces y simples de obtener programario gratis para la realización de tareas. Por ejemplo, para realizar mapas mentales podemos obtener un pograma a partir de Free mind. Además, es muy intuitivo, permitiendonos realizar mapas muy comprensibles y de valuosa ayuda.

En nuestro caso, se nos comunico realizar un mapa mental y, sin más no, el mapa nos permitio mantener un orden de ideas a la hora de hablar sobre el tema de Wiki asignado. El proceso del Brainstorming no es fácil de llevar a cabo si no hay un conocimiento total de lo que se dirá. Por lo tanto, el mapa mental nos permite mantener el orden de la ideas producidas por el Brainstorming. Sin más no, la charla tendría que interpretarse por parte de los oyentes de forma clara, directa. La velocidad ha de ser pausada de las frases o ideas claves.

En conclusión, los mapas mentales permiten un orden claro, lógico de los puntos claves de cualquier charla, independientemente de los niveles socioculturales de los oyentes. Son una fuente ineteresante para aplicar el proceso del Brainstorming. 

Link a: www.conceptdraw.com ( Programa para mapas mentales. No es gratis)

          www.freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download ( Programa gratis para mapas mentales) 

 

 

 

A la hora de comunicar se ha de saber convencer y no es fácil por supuesto. Se ha de conocer todos los detalles de los presentes: nivel de estudios, nivel socioeconómico, entre otras variables. Todas estas variables son importantísimas cuando hemos preparar una ponencia o conferencia, debido a que nos hemos de adaptar, adptar nuestro lenguaje, adaptar nuestros gestos. 

Podemos realizar una comunicación científica y es obligatorio seguir un esquema científico (Objetivo, Procedimiento, Resultados, Análisis de errores y resultados, Conclusión, Bibliografía) para poder explicar de forma deductiva una investigación. O, por el contrario, podemos realizar una charla provocando respuestas emocionales por parte de los asistentes. Es decir, podemos utilizar lo que se conoce como la inteligencia emocional. Es una conferencia mucho más efectiva y crea ilusión y emociona pero no es un método efectivo a la hora de comunicar una investigación desde el punto de vista científico.

Por tanto, hemos de definir y estudiar las personas asistentes a la conferencia y, dependiendo de ellas, nos hemos de adaptar y poder convencer con nuestras palabras.

 

 

En el último número de la revista Organics Letters (ACS) aparece, y con acceso gratis, una carta muy interesante, sobre la síntesis de nuevos compuestos con aplicaciones muy destacables en nanotecnología. La principal causa es debida a un gap muy pequeño que permite que sea oxidado fácilmente. Según sus autores parece, y lo han podido demostrar, que los compuestos sintetizados tienen una afinidad electrónica elevada. Siendo mayor (EA) la de los compuestos derivados del DTP, por tanto la transferencia de carga es más efectiva.

Posteriormente, se realiza un análisis por medio de DFT (B3LYP y base 6-31G(d,p)) de los orbitales π y el gap. Al parecer uno de los compuestos que posee una disposisción especial de los sistemas PI , tiene una menor diferencia de gap; los compuestos derivados del DTP. Por tanto, hace que sea más fácil oxidable y que el proceso de transferencia de carga sea más efectivo, hubiese sido interesante haber estudiado la deslocalización de la carga en el caso de formarse polimeros.

Una investigación muy interesante que se aproxima, intenta dar pistas sobre la posible utilización de estos compuestos en nanotecnología. Los compuestos, mejor dicho polimeros orgánicos con electrones PI deslocalizados, serán de aqui no muy lejos la base para sistemas electrónicos y, posiblemente, útiles a la hora de obtener energía del sol.  

 

Now a days, every organic or theoric chemist know more or less what it is. But we know what exactly it is.

The aromaticity is a property of some kind of organic and, more recently, inorganic compounds that, a tthe same time, have a unusual and particular reactivity. And is capital to study and analise carefully this property because has important implications on the pharmaceutic field: to know better what happen on the organic ( and inorganic) synthesis. Obviuosly is not easy; a lots of indeces and one gives good results for some compounds and some for anothers. 

Furthermore, the majority of this compounds have and aditional stabilisation: the delocalization of the electrons PI in their structure. That is another contribution to define and study the aromaticity.

At ours university, we have one of the most well-known scientist and obviously his collaborators at the same group. So on July at 7,8,9,10 th of July, It will be a Seminar related, in especial, to aromaticity but other chemistry fields ( Photochemistry, computational chemistry, theoric chemistry and more). And It will be there the most important researchs in this field, some of them:

Juan Andrés (Spain)
Evert Jan Baerends (The Netherlands)
F. Matthias Bickelhaupt (The Netherlands)
Alexander I. Boldyrev (USA)
Patrick Bultinck (Belgium)
Jerzy Cioslowski (Poland)
David Cooper (United Kingdom)
Patrick W. Fowler (United Kingdom)
Gernot Frenking (Germany)
T. Marek Krygowski (Poland)
Fernando Martin (Spain)
Istvan Mayer (Hungary)
Robert Ponec (Czech Republic)
Paul von Ragué Schleyer (USA)
Jesús Ugalde (Spain)

Link to Seminar page: http://iqc.udg.edu/gsaba2008/inici.html

An interesting video of nanotechnology but the last 4 minutes are the most. They explain the nanoscience research at University of Berkeley. 

 

Really interesting to add chemistry compound as way to conduct electricity. More or less, biological compounds are the same or more effective to conduct the electricity but the conditions are most important problem to solve. The charge transfer process, as consequence of photon interaction, is one or the most important and interesting problems to solve for chemist or, in general, scientist. As we said in past post, is convenient for nanotech companys. And obviously its applications to nanodevices, and nanorobots for the cure of deseases and more.

Now it is time to implement nanotechnology (communication technologies) in the company to be competitive. In the next future, more or less the majority of the electronic devices will based on polymers and biological compounds. It would be interesting that company directors take a look on nanotechnology if they want to be competitive in future and in this process they must look for help in the university and their researchers.  

    

  

 

 El premio Abel de matemáticas del 2008 ha sido entregado por el estudio de la teoría de grupos. El premio ha sido dado a el Prof. Griggs (University of Florida) y al Prof. Tits (Collège de France, Paris). Ellos han permitido un avance considerable en la Teoría de Grupos (instaurada por primera vez por Galois y Abel) que permite el estudio de la simetría en diferente objetos, por ejemplo el cubo Rubik, sistemas químicos, bioquímicos.

Me interesa mucho este teorema que se describe de manera sencilla: ” every finite group of odd order is soluble”, instaurado por Thompson. Es decir, que un sistema determinado constituído por diferentes simetrías puede reducirse o romperse en sistemas más pequenos y simples. Parece lógico, pero no lo es en absoluto, reducir un sistema complejo en sistemas simples es realmente difícil.

Tits, por ejemplo, contribuyo en considerar los grupos como objetos geométricos. Muy interesante que ya tiene sus múltiples aplicaciones en el mundo de la química.Además, el estudio de sistemas biológicos por medio de teoría de grupos ha permitido encontrar simetrías donde, al parecer, no las había.

La simetría es el concepto más presente en la naturaleza y, posiblemente, el que nos permita resolver muchos problemas relacionados con procesos en sitemas biológicos. No es fácil, reducir un sistema extremedamente complejo a unos cuantos de simple y predecir su comportamiento. Más aún, sería grandioso poder hacerlo pero se necesitan más estudios y simulaciones. 

Pienso que el problema radica en: consideramos un sistema biológico y complejo que posee diferentes simetrías, podemos reducir el sistema a simples sistemas para estudiar procesos microscópicos mediante el uso del teorema de Thompson y que posean una simetría también… Sería extremadamente interesante estudiarlo…  

In the last number of Journal of Science Communication appears a really interesting comment. In some way, the authors believe that maybe, in the next future, the science communication and critical journalism will definitelly desapear. The reasons are for the now a days science marketing (Sciencetist Institutes) and thats produce that the distance between society-science get longer. Another reason that he adds, is that science communicatiors at schools are realising many aspects of the difficulty in performing this job. Furthermore, the science marketing is getting a higher dimension now a days.

To add more, society is involve in the science aspects or some words that are common for us, the majority of medical science or ecological because of the changes od the climate. An excellent analisis of the science communication forcoming: 

“That is partly due to what Bauer and Gregory have recently and effectively illustrated 3in an essay maintaining that the public communication of science is going through a phase of great transformation for at least two reasons: the organisational and technological changes that have generally invested journalism and, most of all, the growth in the activities of public relations and marketing by research institutions.”  

From my point of view, in some way he is right but scientist now a days are not just researchs and just do basic or apply science knowledge; are more than that or have more responsabilities: have a company or research institute. But it is absolutelly resonable to believe that only one scientist can do all this things. Maybe one solution is that scientist will be more specialised on one area; not one scientist will do science communication, basic research, have a company and more. It’s absolutelly surprising to have time to do all in excelence.    Another interesting frase that makes you think and realise that science communication is not easy: “The reference model is substantially a scientific journalist able to transform terms and concepts from the scientists’ jargon into the language of the man in the street, a novel Prometheus able to climb the Olympus of science and to bring down the fire of knowledge to a people immersed in darkness.”

Some characteristics of science communicators:“A science communicator is an ‘amphibious’ worker5 travelling with their double-bottomed suitcase, as they cannot work only with the instruments of an information “simplifier”. They should also carry the instruments of a journalist, yet the false bottom of their suitcase should hide cultural instruments – made of a great curiosity for history, philosophy, sociology, arts – making them able to safely handle restriction enzymes, wave functions, prions or greenhouse gases, but also to frame those topics with the cultural context they deserve”.  A comment that make us think on the forthcoming of science communications and scientist relations with marketing that make difficult the relation with society. It is obvious the the society behaivour is changing every day, It will be great for science to predict the future behaivour. Anyway, something is changing or just is normal and we are who we don’t change our view… 

Now a days, learning is changing to much but, as always, americans takes the bus first as others. For instance, UofBerkeley have at youtube.com its own channel and, for example, upload courses of chemistry courses and others. Furthermore, it is useful for people and for them; if the courses are well done every student woul like to go there and therefore its excellent for them!

Furthermore, they are taking the advantatges of new technologies gadgets and so on. But, for example, only a few universities fron Europe have a channel at youtube.com. For example, for a little univeristy had to be a powerfull way to be known in the world or a region.

The ways of science communications are changing so quickly that, maybe, some will not take the train and have advantatges. Is extremelly important the way and how we communicate the science. As always, USA universities take distance in science communication.

Well, Today, another ways of communication: is more directly, more helpfull. Professor Volhardt explains us how and which compounds have electronic excitations and more…

At youtube.com you even find science interesting videos. Today, as always, I try to find what it’s interesting and helpfull for science public communication, obviously, It is not easy. But, anyway, I try to find what is interesting for us and explanations of “well Known” cientifics.

It would be grate if ours university (UdG) have a science (or general ) channel, explaining their research. I suposed that have to difficult but, anyway, It is helpfull and extremelly important for society. Maybe, in closer future, the UdG will have one, have more advantatges.

The video, of today, It is refer to nanotechnology and three scientist explaning what it is, future aplications, now a days aplications and a quickly sight of what are a the most importants problems refre to nanotech applications.