Author Archive

Prizes won at 4th ESP Photobiology School

A school on photobiology was held in Brixen from 20-25 June 2016. The European Photobiology Society initiated this bi-annual school to inspire graduate students and early-stage researchers to be the photobiologists of the future. This year, 45 students enthusiastically participated, and also presented their research as posters.Three faculty members had the hard task of judging the presented posters: two of them were chosen for prizes. Diana Yuzhakova from Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) was awarded a fellowship to participate in the 2017 ESP congress in Pisa (Italy). Giulia Zampini from the Università degli Studi di Perugia (Italy) was awarded the two-volume book Singlet Oxygen: Applications in Biosciences and Nanosciences edited by S. Nonell and C. Flors.

Words by Professor Massimo Trotta, Istituto per i Processi Chimico Fisici-CNR, Italy

You can view the ebook version of Singlet Oxygen: Applications in Biosciences and Nanosciences Volume 1 and Volume 2 on our website. Read the first chapter for free.


Singlet Oxygen: Applications in Biosciences and Nanosciences

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Shine on You Crazy Books*

Let there be light! It’s a new beginning for The Comprehensive Series in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences. First started in 2001, this series has covered some fantastic topics from flavins to lasers. Brand new books have just been published, and the freshly appointed Series Editorial Board is looking for the next big topics.

How did the series emerge?

In addition to primary research and reviews, photochemists, photobiologists and aspiring students can need more. In response to the identified need for comprehensive information sources that cover well-established and emerging fields in depth, in 2001 the European Society for Photobiology (ESP) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) agreed to launch a series of books in photoscience. The series title leaves little untold about its purpose: Comprehensive Series in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.

Browsing through some documents from the time of its launch, we ran into instructions for authors that suggest manuscripts should be submitted “together with a set of disks (or CD-ROM)…” Today, floppy disks are useless, compact disks are a vintage technology and we submit our scientific papers by clicking on touchscreen devices. So much has changed, but the book series has maintained its high scientific standards and best original features, thanks to the vision of committed previous series editors (Donat-Peter Haeder and the late Giulio Jori).

5000 pages later…

Thirteen books (and over 5000 pages!) have now been published, covering very cool and interesting fields, giving – as the series editors wrote in the foreword of the first published volume – a critical evaluation of the directions that the field is taking. If you glance at the published titles, you will see the results of hard and dedicated work from many chapter authors and volume editors from around the world.

The Executive Committee of the ESP met in September 2015 in Aveiro, Portugal during the biennial Congress of the Society. The Committee has given the three of us the prestigious roles of Series Editors of the book series. We are flattered and honoured by this office. We are committed to work hard to maintain the standards of the Series and to source and invite new edited volumes on important topics.

And what now?

Very soon, two new volumes will be available. Surface Water Photochemistry, edited by Paola Calza and Davide Vione, is now available and it explores the latest research on the photochemical fate of organic pollutants in surface water. Singlet Oxygen, edited by Santi Nonell and Cristina Flors, comprises two volumes that present the physical, chemical and biological properties of this reactive oxygen species and its increasingly important applications across chemical, environmental and biomedical areas. Look out for this book in early 2016.

Currently, we are scouring the literature, attending conferences and speaking to our colleagues to decide what are the topics that have developed significantly in the last few years and that could now do with a new edited book covering the field. The series will be open to and will expand to include any topic where an in-depth coverage need is defined.

Thanks to the impending publication of two new titles, a new series Editorial Board, and beautiful new cover designs, it looks like an exciting new start for the Comprehensive Series in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences. We do welcome feedback on books in the series and ideas for areas we should cover in future. To get in touch, please email us at books@rsc.org.

Ad maiora!

Read more in the full Editorial published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.

Posted by Rowan on behalf of the authors Massimo Trotta, Evelyne Sage and Lesley Rhodes

Lesley E. Rhodes, University of Manchester (Scientific interests include human photobiology and photomedicine); Evelyn Sage, Institut Curie (Focusses on basic aspects of photobiology in her research); Massimo Trotta, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy (Research interests are in environmental applications of photosynthesis)

*Apologies to Pink Floyd

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Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry R&D Conference

Register for the ABPI R&D Conference 2015 and come and browse our drug discovery books at the RSC booth.

This year the event will address the following question:

“With an ever increasing amount of innovation in the life sciences sector, how can we maximise research and development productivity?”

The ABPI have a host of senior speakers confirmed from within the biopharmaceutical industry and across the breadth of the UK life sciences community.
If you are part of the life science community, including colleagues from academia, government, NHS, charities, funders, patient group representatives and industry, this conference will be a unique opportunity for you to:

  • highlight innovative research that has opened the door to novel therapeutics
  • hear about the evolving model of drug discovery and the impact for both the biopharmaceutical industry and wider UK stakeholders in R&D
  • showcase innovative practices that that will improve R&D productivity and accelerate access to medicines
  • network with peers and colleagues at the post-conference drinks reception

The ABPI R&D Conference 2015 has been approved by the following institutions for the purposes of CPD:

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine | 5.45 CPD credits for full attendance

Royal Society of Biology | 18 CPD credits

Orphan Drugs and Rare DiseasesHuman-based Systems for Translational ResearchCardiovascular and Metabolic Disease: Scientific Discoveries and New Therapies

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New Books in the RSC Green Chemistry Series

Take a look at these recently published new books in the Green Chemistry Series by clicking on the links below.

You can access the front matter, table of contents and first chapter of the eBooks for free.

Green Materials from Plant OilsGreen Materials from Plant Oils
Zengshe Liu (Editor), George Kraus (Editor), ISBN: 978-1-84973-901-6

Coming soon in the Green Chemistry Series:

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Based Blends, Composites and NanocompositesPolyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Based Blends, Composites and Nanocomposites
Ipsita Roy (Editor), P. M Visakh (Editor) , ISBN: 978-1-84973-946-7

Porous Carbon Materials from Sustainable Precursors Porous Carbon Materials from Sustainable Precursors
Robin J White (Editor), ISBN: 978-1-84973-832-3

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New Books in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Take a look at these recently published new books in the Drug Discovery Series by clicking on the links below.Ion Channel Drug Discovery

You can access the front matter, table of contents and first chapter of the eBooks for free.

Ion Channel Drug Discovery
Brian Cox (Editor), Martin Gosling (Editor), ISBN:  978-1-84973-186-7

Macrocycles in Drug Discovery Macrocycles in Drug Discovery
Jeremy Levin (Editor) , ISBN:  978-1-84973-701-2

Coming soon in the Drug Discovery Series:

Human-based Systems for Translational Research 
Robert Coleman (Editor), ISBN:  978-1-84973-825-5Human-based Systems for Translational Research

Venoms to Drugs
Glenn F. King (Editor), ISBN:  978-1-84973-663-3

Venoms to Drugs

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New Books in the RSC Drug Discovery Book Series

Just published in the RSC Drug Discovery Book Series:

Click on each of the titles to view more details.

Ion Channel Drug DiscoveryIon Channel Drug Discovery Edited by Brian Cox and Martin Gosling

A rapidly growing field, this book covers the recent advances in screening technology, ion channel structure and modelling, with up-to-date case histories.


Orphan Drugs and Rare DiseasesOrphan Drugs and Rare Diseases Edited by David C Pryde and Michael Palmer

This book provides an up-to-date monograph on the drug discovery and regulatory elements of therapeutics used to treat rare or “orphan” diseases.


Look out for these titles coming soon in the Drug Discovery Series…

Macrocycles in Drug DiscoveryMacrocycles in Drug Discovery edited by Jeremy Levin

Macrocycles in Drug Discovery will review macrocycles in drug discovery and will be of interest to biochemists, pharmaceutical scientists and medicinal chemists working in industry or academia.


Human-based Systems for Translational ResearchHuman-based Systems for Translational Research edited by Robert Coleman

This book will provide a detailed history and discussion of the use of human tissues as an alternative to animal-based testing for assessing the efficacy and safety of new medicines.

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New Books in the RSC Green Chemistry Series

Just published in the RSC Green Chemistry Book Series:

Click on each of the titles to view more details.

Renewable Resources for BiorefineriesRenewable Resources for Biorefineries edited by Carol Lin and Rafael Luque

An ideal book for upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students taking modules on Renewable resources, green chemistry, sustainable development, environmental science, agricultural science and environmental technology.


From C-H to C-C BondsFrom C-H to C-C Bonds: Cross-Dehydrogenative-Coupling edited by Chao-Jun Li

This book examines the first ten years of this rapidly-expanding field, providing the reader with the knowledge to develop new syntheses in keeping with the principles of Green Chemistry.


Look out for these titles coming soon in the RSC Green Chemistry Series:


Transition Metal Catalysis in Aerobic Alcohol OxidationTransition Metal Catalysis in Aerobic Alcohol Oxidation edited by Francesca Cardona and Camilla Parmeggiani

This book deals with the search for environmentally benign procedures for the oxidation of alcohols and gives an overview of their transition-metal-catalyzed aerobic oxidation.

Green Materials from Plant OilsGreen Materials from Plant Oils edited by Zengshe Liu and George Kraus

This book covers the synthesis of useful products and intermediates from plant oils, which is a critically important area given current challenge of depleting fossil fuel reserves.


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New book published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases

Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases

David C Pryde (Editor), Michael Palmer (Editor)
ISBN (print): 978-1-84973-806-4
Copyright: 2014
Price: £175.00

This text brings together expert authors in the regulatory, drug development and biochemistry domains to create a unique and timely reference for all researchers interested in finding out more about orphan drugs, their discovery and development, and the rare diseases they treat.

The Front Matter, Preface, Contents and First Chapter of this book are free to access with a free personal RSC Publishing Account.

Other books coming soon in the RSC Drug Discovery Series…

Human-based Systems for Translational Research

Robert Coleman (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-84973-825-5

Dot Line

Macrocycles in Drug Discovery

Jeremy Levin (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-84973-701-2

Dot Line

Ion Channel Drug Discovery

Brian Cox (Editor), Martin Gosling (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-84973-186-7

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Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Cells Now Published

Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Cells

Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Cells

Wolfgang Maret (Editor), Anthony Wedd (Editor)
ISBN (print): 978-1-84973-599-5, Copyright: 2014

This book is the first to comprehensively survey the molecular nature of the overall natural balance of metal ions in nutrition, toxicology and pharmacology. It is written as an introduction to research for students and researchers in academia and industry and begins with a chapter by Professor R J P Williams FRS. Find out more here.

The Front Matter, Preface, Contents and First Chapter of this book are free to access with a free personal RSC Publishing Account.

This book is the second volume in the RSC Metallobiology Series following:

Mechanisms and Metal Involvement in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Roberta Ward (Editor), Robert Crichton (Editor), David Dexter (Editor)
ISBN: 978-1-84973-588-9
Copyright: 2013

If you would like more information about the RSC Metallobiology Series or are interested in publishing a book in this series, please contact Rowan Frame at framer@rsc.org.

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Introducing the new RSC Chemical Biology Book Series Editorial Board

The RSC has launched a new Book Series that will provide a suite of reference books on cutting-edge research at the interface of chemistry and biology. The first books in the series will be published in 2016. Find out more here.

Do you have an idea for a book topic for the series? Would you like to edit a book in the series? We would love to hear from you. Email Rowan Frame, Books Commissioning Editor.

Meet the new Editorial Board:

Professor Tom Brown, Editor-in-Chief
University of Oxford, UK
Tom’s research interests centre on Nucleic acids chemistry, in particular the relationship between structure and function, DNA sequence recognition and the application of oligonucleotide chemistry to genetic analysis, diagnostics and therapeutics. He is co-founder of three biotech companies: Oswel, ATDBio and PrimerDesign. He was recently awarded Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.

Tom received his first degree in Chemistry at Bradford University, where he was awarded the Griffin and George Prize as most outstanding graduate. After a PhD at Bradford with Gordon Shaw he moved to Nottingham University, then to Oxford and Cambridge Universities to carry out postdoctoral research with Leslie Crombie and Gerry Pattenden FRS, John Jones and Olga Kennard OBE FRSrespectively. In 1985 he was appointed to a lectureship in Biological Chemistry at Edinburgh University where he was promoted to Reader and then Professor of Nucleic Acids Chemistry, and in 1995 he moved to a Chair in Chemical Biology at the University of Southampton. Tom was appointed Professor of Nucleic Acid Chemistry at the University of Oxford in 2013.

Professor Kira J. Weissman, Series Editor
Lorraine University, France
Kira has been in her present position, Professor of Enzymology at Lorraine University since 2010. Her current research interests include the mechanistic enzymology and structural biology of modular polyketide synthase and nonribosomal peptide synthetase systems.

Kira obtained her BS in Chemistry from Stanford University, California in 1995. Receipt of a Churchill Fellowship allowed her to relocate to the United Kingdom, where she carried out MPhil (1996), PhD (2000) and post-doctoral research at the University of Cambridge with Professors Jim Staunton and Peter Leadlay. Her work at Cambridge was supported by several competitive fellowships, including a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship. Following nomination to a lectureship in the Department of Biochemistry, she moved in 2007 to the University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany, to work in the group of Prof. Rolf Müller as an Alexander Humboldt Research Fellow. Dr. Weissman has been in her present position, Professor of Enzymology at Lorraine University, Nancy, France, since 2010.

Professor Chris L. Dupont, Series Editor
J. Craig Venter Institute, USA
Chris is an Assistant Professor in the Microbial and Environmental Genomics department at JCVI. His primary research focus is microbial physiology and the environmental and evolutionary influence on physiological variation. Since sequencing the first free-living bacterium, Haemophilus influenza, Chris’ department have been leading the field of microbial genomics.

Prior to joining JCVI, Chris received his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where he studied a variety of subjects including oceanic nickel biogeochemistry and the evolution of Ni-superoxide dismutase.  Chris received a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources and a Master’s Degree in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.

Professor Sabine Flitsch, Series Editor
University of Manchester, UK
The Flitsch group at the University of Manchester is very interdisciplinary, consisting of synthetic chemists, enzymologists and molecular biologists and is involved in several topics that fall within the broad area of Chemical Biology, including glycosciences, biocatalysis and protein-ligand interactions. Sabine was recently awarded an RSC Interdisciplinary Prize.

Sabine graduated from University of Münster in Germany in 1982 with a first class Diploma in Chemistry. She received a Michael Wills scholarship to study for a D.Phil at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Sir Jack E. Baldwin. She then took up a DAAD Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to work with Professor H. Gobind Khorana until 1988 before returning to Oxford to take up a lectureship in Organic Chemistry for 6 years. After joining the University of Edinburgh in 1995, Sabine was awarded the Zeneca Research Award in 1996 and the Glaxo Wellcome Award for Innovative Chemistry in 1997. She was also a BBSRC Research Development Fellow from 2001-4 and was recently awarded the Wolfson Merit Award by the Royal Society (2007-2012). In October 2004 Sabine moved to a Chair in Chemical Biology at the University of Manchester in the Department of Chemistry.

Professor Nick J. Westwood, Series Editor
University of St Andrews, UK
Nick’s research focusses on Chemical Biology and Natural Product Synthesis. The Westwood group works collaboratively with a number of other researchers in both these areas on various projects, such as developing sirtuin inhibitors and studying protein-protein interactions.

Nick Graduated with a first class honours degree in chemistry from the University of Oxford. He stayed at Oxford until 1995 to complete a DPhil in Chemistry with Prof. Christopher Schofield FRS. He then spent four years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin before moving to Harvard University. In 2001, he left Harvard University to become a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of St Andrews. Since 2013, he has been Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Research Complex at the University of St Andrews and EaStCHEM.


Related News:

You may also be interested in the Directing Biosynthesis IV Conference. Find out more at http://rsc.li/dbiv

Details: 25-27 March 2014 at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK

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