JOINT SEMINAR CENTER OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN NANOTECHNOLOGY & THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT
PRESENTS SEMINAR
Advanced Spectroscopic Instrumentation and Sensitive
Molecular Probes as Key Players in Modern Analytical Chemistry
Date: Wednesday, November 25th, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Building 4, Room 125
Speaker:
Dr. Sulayman Oladepo
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry,
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
This presentation will discuss the use of spectroscopic instrumentation and molecular probes for solving analytical problems in biology, health and energy. I will discuss ultraviolet (UV) resonance Raman spectroscopy and how this technique was used for in situ analysis of sunscreen formulations. The unique attributes of this technique and its suitability for the analysis of complex mixtures will be highlighted. I will also present my work involving the use of molecular probes for DNA sequencing and photodamage detection. The rational design, testing and application of these probes will be discussed. The results will be discussed in terms of the inherent sensitivity of these probes and the key role they can play in biomedical diagnostics and drug discovery. In addition, I will discuss my work in the area of analytical/spectroscopic instrumentation, including quantum cascade lasers (QCL) and photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy. Some results obtained in this work will be presented while also discussing applications of advanced spectroscopic instrumentation in the context of advances in optics and lasers. I will also give a bird's eye view of my proposed research at KFUPM, and discuss the potential significance of such research endeavors to society.
Biography:
Sulayman Oladepo received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2010 from the University of Alberta, under the supervision of Prof. Glen Loppnow. He spent a year as a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Prof. Sanford Asher at the University of Pittsburgh, where he used UV resonance Raman spectroscopy to study the melting dynamics of β-sheet structures and the effects of citrullination on protein folding dynamics. From 2011 to 2014, he was on a Visiting Fellowship at CanmetEnergy, Natural Resources Canada, where he worked on the development and application of photoacoustic FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and asphaltenes. Between 2014 and 2015, he worked on an industry-sponsored Raman instrumentation project as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Reinhard Vehring at the University of Alberta. During this time, he worked on the development of low frequency shift Raman instrumentation for pharmaceutical respirable powders. The Raman instrumentation was built from scratch and was delivered to the sponsor company in the US in summer 2015. Sulayman recently joined the Department of Chemistry at KFUPM as an Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry. His current research involves development of Raman spectroscopic instrumentation for applications in pharmaceutical, biomedical and oil and gas industries, as well as development of molecular probes for biomedical applications.
All faculty, researchers and graduate students are invited to attend.
There will be a get-together with refreshments at 10:45-11:00 a.m.
