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Unravelling molecular and personal complexity: life viewed through polarised light

Abstract

The world we live in is determined by the way molecules interact. However, it is often hard to measure what is happening. In this talk I will focus on new ways of using spectroscopic measurements, which are dependent on the nature of molecules and their environments, so data can be interpreted to give us clues as to how they are behaving. The focus of this talk will be on how we can use circularly and linearly polarised light to select out respectively chiral (helical/asymmetric) interactions, and oriented interactions between molecules. As well as describing what we can readily achieve with circular and linear dichroism for biomolecule characterisation, I will outline new developments with combining fluorescence spectroscopy with circularly and linearly polarised light, and how to use attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy to give (hopefully) reliable polarised infrared data. Applications will be to DNA, proteins, peptides and small molecules.

However wonderful spectroscopy is, our work always take place in the context of our lives. None of us live in a vacuum: how do we manage to build and maintain relationships both professional and personal? how do we keep our research funded? how do we deal with the positive and negative cultures in which we find ourselves embedded? Alison began her career in Australia. She married a fellow student, Mark, just before she started her PhD. After they completed their PhDs there was always the juggle of finding 2 jobs on the same continent, preferably within commuting distance, and later trying to bring up two daughters to be relatively normal people. She will reflect on how she managed some of the challenges of achieving scientific excellence in research and teaching, while endeavouring to be true to the values of her Christian faith, and always valuing her students and colleagues as individuals.

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Biography

Alison Rodger has just taken up the role of Director of the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University having been at Macquarie University since 2017 and previously at the University of Warwick for over 20 years. She received her BSc, PhD and DSc from the University of Sydney, MA from Oxford, DSc from Warwick, and BA from Chester. She was a Beatrice Dale Fellow at Newnham College Cambridge, an Overseas Scholar of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Unilever Fellow at St Catherine's College, Oxford, and Violette and Samuel Glasstone Fellow at St Hilda’s College. At Warwick she was founding director of the Molecular Organisation and Assembly in Cells Doctoral Training Centre funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and head of Chemistry. She is passionate about supporting early career researchers, especially those working across disciplines. Alison enjoyed every minute of her 4 years on the Royal Society of Chemistry Council. Alison has been recognised by her election to Fellowships of the Australian Academy of Science (2021) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (2000) and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1997) and as an Honorary Member of British Biophysical Society (2019). She was nominated as a member of The Analytical Science Power List 2015.