Chemistry - NMU Events and Announcements

Chemistry

We invite you to join the NMU Chemistry Department in welcoming the following guest speakers. All seminars will take place in TSB 2904 at 5 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Wednesday, February 5 – Dr. James DeDecker
Topic: Cannabinoid Outcomes: Hemp Varieties and Agronomy

Wednesday, February 19 – Dr. Luke Busta
Topic: Citizen Science-Assisted Exploration of Lineage-Specific Epicuticular Wax Blooms

Wednesday, March 12 – Alumni Panel: Ethics in the Cannabis Industry
Featuring: Artie Bedford, Alex Dale, Haylee Kuehl-Weisser

Wednesday, April 2 – Alumni Panel: Exploring Career Paths
Featuring: Keegan Adams, Jacob Cortez, Joey Wienckowski

Wednesday, April 23 – Dr. Twinkle Paryani
Topic: Analysis of Non-Terpenoid Cannabis Volatiles

Chemistry

Dr. Luke Busta will be visiting NMU from the University of Minnesota Duluth where he is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In addition to presenting his medicinal plant chemistry seminar, he will be meeting with students and faculty to discuss his research and the graduate program opportunities that UMD has to offer.

All are welcome, hope to see you there!

Chemistry

Please join the NMU chemistry department in welcoming Dr. James DeDecker from the Michigan State University - Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center. He will be the first speaker to present in the Medicinal Plant Chemistry Seminar Series 2025.

Chemistry

Join us for our February Pre-Pharmacy Meeting. Everyone is highly encouraged to attend, and we kindly ask that you RSVP on the Hub so we can get a headcount.

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Karen Ellingrod from the University of Michigan as our guest speaker. This is a fantastic opportunity to ask questions and gain insights into the field of pharmacy.

Refreshments will be provided—we hope to see you there!

Chemistry

Dr. Athar Ata, the Chair of the Chemistry Department at Michigan Tech University, will present the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from natural sources and synthetic organic chemistry. Their structure-activity relationships will be discussed as well. Additionally, a recently developed chemo-enzymatic approach to producing natural products on a large scale will also be presented.

Chemistry

Deciphering Monoterpene Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids Biosynthesis In Mitragyna Species

Presented via Zoom by Dr. Satya Swathi Nadakuduti

Dr. Satya Swathi Nadakuduti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida. Dr. Nadakuduti received her Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology from Michigan State University. 

Her lab is interested in studying plants' specialized metabolism to understand the chemical diversity and identify compounds that have pharmaceutical value, and their potential for health benefits and applications in agriculture. Her research program integrates multi-disciplinary approaches such as biochemistry, genomics, gene discovery, and functional characterization to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of these compounds. Her group is also interested in targeted genome modifications using gene-editing technology such as CRISPR/Cas9 for agriculture crop improvement, as a functional genomics tool and to understand genome-wide off-target effects caused by gene-editing reagents. Her group is interested in micropropagation and implementing gene editing in medicinally relevant plant species.

Chemistry

Medicinal Asteraceae of North America: An Ethnopharmacological Approach

Presented by Dr. Cory Harris - University of Ottawa

Bio - Dr. Harris' research combines laboratory, field, and community-based approaches to study the roles of plants in human and ecological health. His research explores the ethnobotany, chemistry, and bioactivity of plants with a current emphasis on native Canadian species used for food and medicine. Together with Inuit and First Nations communities as well as the private and public sectors, some of the ongoing projects include: health benefits (and risks) of wild plant foods, the antidiabetic and neuroprotective potential of berries, the chemical ecology of coneflower alkylamides, and the ethical and evidence-based use of alternative medicines by mainstream healthcare providers.