aspuru-list April 2013

aspuru-list@lists.fas.harvard.edu

54 participants
81 discussions

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Please VOTE in Fieser Award Poll

by Jacob Sanders

Dear Group Members, As you may have seen, I am one of only two nominees in the Physical Chemistry Division for the Fieser Award Lecture. While my proposed talk is about eliminating information redundancy in chemistry, it is certainly NOT about eliminating redundancy in VOTING. So please VOTE! The link for voting is here: *http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9GRMNZK* On a COMPLETELY unrelated note (obviously!), I have chocolate at my desk. Please feel free to come take some even if I am not there. Just because I love you all so much. Obviously. :-) Cheers, Jacob

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] [IACS-events] Reminder of final spring IACS Seminar tomorrow: Franziska Michor (HSPH) on Evolution of the Cancer Genome

by Reid, Rosalind

Dear friends, Just a reminder that tomorrow we'll have the final IACS seminar of the semester, a presentation by Franziska Michor of Dana-Farber and the Harvard School of Public Health, on "Evolution of the Cancer Genome." Details: Date: Friday, April 26, 2013 Speaker: Franziska Michor, Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health Location: Maxwell Dworkin G125, 33 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Time: Informal lunch with speaker, 12:30pm; Talk, 1:00pm Title: Evolution of the Cancer Genome Abstract: Cancer emerges through an evolutionary process in somatic tissue. The fundamental laws of evolution can best be formulated as exact mathematical equations; therefore, the process of cancer initiation and progression is amenable to mathematical investigation. Current areas of research of the Michor lab include cancer stem cells, the evolution of drug resistance, and the dynamics of metastasis formation. In this talk, I will introduce two examples of the application of evolutionary theory to cancer genomics and treatment. Speaker bio: Franziska Michor studied molecular biology and mathematics at the University of Vienna, Austria, and medical biotechnology at the Università degli Studi di Trieste, Italy. She received her PhD from Harvard's Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology in 2005. Afterwards, she was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows and worked at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. From 2007 to 2010, she was assistant professor at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2010, she moved to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard School of Public Health. Her lab investigates the evolutionary dynamics of cancer. Visit http://iacs.seas.harvard.edu/events to subscribe to our Google calendar, manage your subscription to this mailing list, or access video and audio recordings of previous seminars. _______________________________________________ Iacs-events mailing list Iacs-events(a)seas.harvard.edu https://lists.seas.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/iacs-events

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Fwd: Graduate Consortium on Energy & Environment - Opportunity for your doctoral students

by Cynthia M. Chew

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Aziz <aziz(a)seas.harvard.edu> Date: Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 8:29 PM Subject: Graduate Consortium on Energy & Environment - Opportunity for your doctoral students To: me <aziz(a)seas.harvard.edu> Cc: esimms(a)fas.harvard.edu Dear Colleague, I wish to call your attention to the opportunity afforded to your graduate students by the Graduate Consortium on Energy and Environment, which is sponsored by the Harvard University Center for the Environment. The program is open to students enrolled in doctoral programs in any of Harvard's graduate schools and, so far, has enrolled students from 25 departments in 8 schools. It fosters a community of individuals who are well versed in the broad, interconnected issues of energy and environment while maintaining their focus in their primary discipline. It requires about the equivalent of a semester of full-time study, spread out over 1-2 years, and provides fellowship support to offset the time expenditure. These and other benefits are detailed below, along with the program requirements. Applications are due May 20, and can be found at http://energy.harvard.edu/graduate-consortium/energy_and_environment_about_… A flyer with more information is attached. *Broadening Perspectives *Through their participation in the Consortium, students have an unparalleled opportunity to actively engage with, and learn from, faculty and other students across a variety of disciplines with an interest in Energy and Environment. Engagement in courses and seminars fosters discussion and provides students with the broad perspectives needed to address the challenges associated with the science, technology and policy of energy and environmental issues. *Eligibility *To apply, students must already be enrolled in one of Harvard's doctoral programs. Applicants must have completed one semester of college-level physics and one semester of single-variable calculus. Among the required materials is a letter from the advisor indicating that the advisor supports the student's application. *Requirements *-Three half-courses, all of which have been developed to serve the breadth of disciplinary expertise of Consortium students: 1) Energy Consequences (Fall semester, taught by Dan Schrag, FAS/EPS and SEAS) 2) Energy Policy (Spring semester, taught by Joe Aldy, HKS) 3) Energy Technology (letter-graded only) or Survey of Energy Technology (Pass/Fail only) (Spring semester, taught simultaneously by Michael Aziz, SEAS) -In addition, students are required to attend a weekly reading seminar, which meets every Friday, noon-1:30 during term time, through which they meet a variety of scholars in energy and environment from around the University, and discuss materials that they will have read in advance. *Fellowships *Students accepted into the Consortium are eligible to apply for generous fellowship support provided by the Harvard University Center for the Environment. These funds are intended to offset the time students spend participating in the Consortium, and are awarded during the semesters in which students are actively enrolled in one or more of the three required courses. *Conference Travel Funds *In keeping with the spirit of the Consortium, HUCE encourages participating students to interact with other scholars and students beyond the opportunities traditionally available in their primary field of research. All Consortium students are eligible to receive up to $1,000 for expenses related to attending conferences, workshops, or other appropriate professional activities during their time in the program. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or Eric Simms, HUCE Educational Programs Manager, <esimms(a)fas.harvard.edu> Best wishes, Michael Aziz Faculty Coordinator ** ** _______________________________________________________________________ Michael J. Aziz Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Pierce Hall 204a Tel: +1 (617) 495-9884 29 Oxford Street FAX: +1 (617) 495-9837 Cambridge MA 02138 USA email: maziz(a)harvard.edu * http://seas.harvard.edu/matsci/people/aziz/aziz.html* _______________________________________________________________________

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Fwd: Wed May 1: Energy Materials with Tom Jaramillo

by Alan Aspuru-Guzik

Alán Aspuru-Guzik | Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Harvard University | 12 Oxford Street, Room M113 | Cambridge, MA 02138 (617)-384-8188 | http://aspuru.chem.harvard.edu | http://about.me/aspuru ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nault, Kellie <knault(a)fas.harvard.edu> Date: Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 10:19 AM Subject: Wed May 1: Energy Materials with Tom Jaramillo To: Dear Faculty Associates: Our final Energy Materials at Harvard talk of the semester is this coming Wednesday, May 1, featuring Thomas Jaramillo, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, on "Catalyzing Key Chemical Transformations for Renewable, Sustainable Energy." If you are able to share the below message with your colleagues/students, we would be grateful. Thanks very much, Kellie *Kellie Corcoran Nault***** COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR**** Center for the Environment**** **** *HARVARD UNIVERSITY***** **** 24 OXFORD STREET, 3RD FLOOR, **** CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138**** *T* 617 495 3039 *F* 617 496 0425 Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7532d1fbf18f39219ac742ebe&id=6a13a1c875…> [image: Center for the Environment] *Adapting current energy systems to reduce fossil fuel dependence and minimize impacts on climate, environment, and health is the grand challenge we face today. New materials are of crucial importance for meeting this goal. Materials are central to every energy technology, and advances in materials science can help raise energy efficiencies and resolve emissions problems. Join the Harvard University Center for the Environment for:* *Energy Materials at Harvard* “Catalyzing Key Chemical Transformations for Renewable, Sustainable Energy” *Thomas Jaramillo*, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University *Wednesday, May 1 12:00pm Harvard University Center for the Environment Seminar Room 24 Oxford Street, 3rd Floor Cambridge, MA 02138* Professor Jaramillo's research group investigates chemical transformations in energy. More specifically, they study the chemistry and physics of materials as they relate to catalyzing chemical reactions of interest. Generally speaking, they study two types of reactions: those that convert water and CO2 into fuels and chemicals utilizing renewable energy (e.g. solar or wind), and those that convert those fuels back into usable energy in the form of electricity. *This talk is for Harvard faculty and students only. Lunch will be provided. * *Contact:* Lisa Matthews Assistant Director of Events and Communications Harvard University Center for the Environment 24 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138 lisa_matthews(a)harvard.edu p. 617-495-8883 f. 617-496-0425 Become a Fan of HUCE on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harvard-University-Center-for-the-Environmen…> !

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Excitonics Seminar - Graham Fleming - TODAY, 3 pm, 36-428

by Catherine M Bourgeois

TODAY Please forward to your groups - Thanks. -------------------------------------- Center for Excitonics Seminar Series Thurs, April 25, 2013 3:00 PM RLE Haus Room: 36-428 EXCITATION ENERGY FLOW IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS Graham R Fleming, Dept. of Chemistry, U.C. Berkeley & Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Abstract: The process of light harvesting in photosynthetic plants, algae and bacteria can involve the motion of excitation energy moving through hundreds, and in extreme cases, hundreds of thousands of optically active chromophores, typically chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. Yet a static picture of the light harvesting system is far from a true picture. Light harvesting in plants and algae is highly regulated on a seconds-to-minutes timescale to avoid, for example, damage from excess solar illumination. At low light levels light harvesting transfers excitation energy to the chemically active reaction center with ~97% efficiency, at high light up to 80% of the absorbed photons are harmlessly degraded to heat before reaching the reaction center. These twin requirements mean that a system's model spans at least 14 orders of magnitude in time. In this talk I will discuss light harvesting over this range of time and length-scales from the single molecular complex to the photosystem II supercomplex with about 600 chlorophyll molecules. Bio: Graham Fleming earned his BS degree from the University of Bristol in 1971, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of London in 1974. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, he joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1979. There, he was the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor for ten years, starting in 1987. He also served three years as Chair of the Chemistry Department where he led the creation of University of Chicago's Institute for Biophysical Dynamics. Fleming is currently the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California since 2009 and Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, since 1997. Through high level positions at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (where he was Deputy Laboratory Director from 2004 - 2006), he has been involved in the formation and operation of multiple major initiatives at Berkeley and LBNL. These include the $500M BP funded Energy Biosciences Institute, The California Institute for Quantitative Bioscience and the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing. He has authored or co-authored more than 444 publications, and is widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on ultrafast processes. His ultimate goal is to develop artificial photosynthesis that would provide humanity with clean, efficient and sustainable energy." Light refreshments will be served

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Excitonics Seminar - Graham Fleming - TOMORROW- April 25, 3 pm, 36-428

by Catherine M Bourgeois

Please post and forward to your groups - Thanks. -------------------------------------- Center for Excitonics Seminar Series Thurs, April 25, 2013 3:00 PM RLE Haus Room: 36-428 EXCITATION ENERGY FLOW IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS Graham R Fleming, Dept. of Chemistry, U.C. Berkeley & Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Abstract: The process of light harvesting in photosynthetic plants, algae and bacteria can involve the motion of excitation energy moving through hundreds, and in extreme cases, hundreds of thousands of optically active chromophores, typically chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. Yet a static picture of the light harvesting system is far from a true picture. Light harvesting in plants and algae is highly regulated on a seconds-to-minutes timescale to avoid, for example, damage from excess solar illumination. At low light levels light harvesting transfers excitation energy to the chemically active reaction center with ~97% efficiency, at high light up to 80% of the absorbed photons are harmlessly degraded to heat before reaching the reaction center. These twin requirements mean that a system's model spans at least 14 orders of magnitude in time. In this talk I will discuss light harvesting over this range of time and length-scales from the single molecular complex to the photosystem II supercomplex with about 600 chlorophyll molecules. Bio: Graham Fleming earned his BS degree from the University of Bristol in 1971, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of London in 1974. Following a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Melbourne, Australia, he joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1979. There, he was the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor for ten years, starting in 1987. He also served three years as Chair of the Chemistry Department where he led the creation of University of Chicago's Institute for Biophysical Dynamics. Fleming is currently the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California since 2009 and Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, since 1997. Through high level positions at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (where he was Deputy Laboratory Director from 2004 - 2006), he has been involved in the formation and operation of multiple major initiatives at Berkeley and LBNL. These include the $500M BP funded Energy Biosciences Institute, The California Institute for Quantitative Bioscience and the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing. He has authored or co-authored more than 444 publications, and is widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on ultrafast processes. His ultimate goal is to develop artificial photosynthesis that would provide humanity with clean, efficient and sustainable energy." Light refreshments will be served

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] Leo Kouwenhoven - HQOC/ITAMP Joint Quantum Sciences Seminar - April 24, 2013

by Hamilton, Joan

***HQOC/ITAMP Joint Quantum Sciences Seminar*** **Wed. April 24th, 4:30 PM Jefferson 250** *Tea Social, 4:00 PM, Physics Library, J450* Prof. Leo Kouwenhoven, Kavli Institute of NanoScience, Delft "Majorana Fermions on a Chip" A year ago we reported in Science magazine our experiment on "Signatures of Majorana fermions in Hybrid Superconductor- Semiconductor Nanowire Devices". Since then the data has been reproduced and extended by others and also by us. Theoretical analyses have pointed at both alternative explanations as well as strengthening the Majorana interpretation. Also new experimental checks have been proposed including the ultimate check in terms of a minimal scheme for braiding to demonstrate non-Abelian statistics. I will give an overview and an outlook. Background information and published work can be found at kouwenhovenlab.tudelft.nl. *Refreshments will be provided in the Library at 4:00 PM *Guest Presentation will begin at 4:30 PM in J250 Joan Hamilton Faculty Assistant to Profs. Greiner and Lukin HQOC Laboratory Administrator HUCTW Local Union Representative Harvard University Department of Physics 17 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA 02138 P: (617) 496-2544 F: (617) 496-2545

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] For CS lovers

by Semion Saikin

Jacob knows that Stanley Osher is one of these mathematics guru who actually understands what CS means :) -- ******************************************** Semion K. Saikin, PhD Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Harvard University 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: saykin(a)fas.harvard.edu phone: (619)212-6649 ********************************************

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] [qip] Toby Cubitt talk this Friday, 2pm

by aram harrow

Time: Friday, Apr 26, 2-3pm Location: 6C-442 Speaker: Toby Cubitt (U. Cambridge) Title: Undecidability of the spectral gap question Abstract: The spectral gap of a quantum many-body Hamiltonian -- the difference between the ground state energy (lowest eigenvalue) and lowest excited state (next-lowest eigenvalue, ignoring degeneracies) in the thermodynamic limit (limit of arbitrarily large system size) -- plays an important role in determining the physical properties of a many-body system. In particular, it determines the phase diagram of the system, with quantum phase transitions occurring at critical points where the spectral gap vanishes. A number of famous open problems in mathematical physics concern whether or not particular many-body models are gapped. For example, the "Haldane conjecture" states that Heisenberg spin chains are gapped for integer spin, and gapless for half-integer spin. The seminal result by Lieb-Schultz-Mattis proves the half-integer case. But, whilst there exists strong numerical evidence, the integer case remains unproven. In 2-dimensions, there is a longstanding conjecture that the 2D AKLT model is gapped. In the related setting of quantum field theories, determining if Yang-Mills theory is gapped is one of the Millennium Prize Problems, with a $1 million prize attached. I will show that the general spectral gap problem is unsolvable. Specifically, there exist translationally-invariant Hamiltonians on a 2D square lattice of finite-dimensional spins, with two-body nearest-neighbour interactions, for which the spectral gap problem is undecidable. This means that there exist gapless Hamiltonians for which the absence of a gap cannot be proven in any consistent framework of mathematics. The proof is (of course!) by reduction from the Halting Problem. But the argument is quite complex, and draws on a wide variety of techniques, ranging from quantum algorithms and quantum computing, to classical tiling problems, to recent Hamiltonian complexity results, to an even more recent construction of gapless PEPS parent Hamiltonians. I will explain the result, sketch the techniques involved in the proof, and discuss what implications this might have for physics. Based on ongoing work with David Perez-Garcia and Michael Wolf. _______________________________________________ qip mailing list qip(a)mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/qip

11 years

[Aspuru-Guzik group list] idea for 3D printer project

by Adrian Jinich

we should print one of these! to honor two of our favorite giants, Maxwell and Gibbs! http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell%27s_thermodynamic_surface

11 years

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aspuru-list April 2013