Last week’s Wednesday Lecture Series at SBASSE brought the global excitement of the 2025 Nobel Prizes to the LUMS’ Centre for Entrepreneurship (LCE) Auditorium, where students, faculty, and staff from LUMS Community gathered for an engaging set of short talks designed to make frontier science accessible to all.

Dr. Shaper Mirza, from the Department of Life Sciences, Dr. Muhammad Faryad from the department of Physics, and Dr. Qandeel Almas from the department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering curated a trio of 20 minute lectures, each distilling the essence of a Nobel-winning breakthrough and offering a glimpse into its scientific and societal significance.

Dr. Shaper Mirza opened the session with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, guiding the audience through the elegant logic of the immune system and the landmark discoveries that have shaped our understanding of immune regulation. Her engaging explanations provided a window into how foundational research continues to inform modern medicine.

Taking the stage next, Dr. Qandeel Almas unraveled the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, celebrating the pioneers of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs). With clarity and enthusiasm, she illustrated how these extraordinary materials—capable of capturing gases, purifying water, and enabling novel applications from climate resilience to medicine—represent one of the most transformative scientific innovations of our time.

The final talk, delivered by Dr. Muhammad Faryad, delved into the Nobel Prize in Physics, tracing the journey from early quantum principles to the modern era of macroscopic quantum circuits. Through vivid examples and historical insights, he highlighted how quantization and tunnelling—once observed only in microscopic systems—now underpin technologies at the frontier of quantum computing.

The atmosphere throughout the afternoon was lively and inquisitive, with a strong turnout from across the SSE community. The session succeeded in its aim, offering a concise, thoughtful, and accessible exploration of why this year’s Nobel-winning work matters.

The Wednesday Lecture Series that we host at LCE Auditorium in SBASSE continues to be a vibrant space where science is not only shared but celebrated. 
 

Sulfonamides are vital components in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, yet traditional synthesis methods face challenges due to instability and harsh reaction conditions. In response, Dr. Ghayoor Abbas Chotana from Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering SBASSE along with his team members Ismat Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz, and Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem, have developed an innovative catalytic approach for Sulfur (VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) reactions, published in Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis.
Using affordable organic bases and leveraging the unexpected role of glass reaction vessels, the team’s method simplifies sulfonamide synthesis while adhering to green chemistry principles. This breakthrough enables safer, more efficient production of sulfonamides for drug discovery and highlights how everyday materials like glass can influence chemical reactions.
Read Full Paper here. 
The work reflects LUMS’ commitment to advancing science and sustainability, contributing to global innovation in chemistry.
 

 Dr. Basit Yameen, from the Department of Chemistry, has made remarkable contributions to the field of polymer chemistry over the years. In 2014-15, he was recognized as an Emerging Investigator by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Polymer Chemistry journal. Now, nearly a decade later, he has been honored once again, this time being identified and recommended by the journal’s editorial and advisory boards as one of the Pioneering Investigators who have firmly established themselves as pioneers of the field of polymer chemistry. This prestigious recognition celebrates Dr. Yameen’s lasting and impactful contributions to the advancement of polymer science, further solidifying his position as a leading figure in the field.

Selenium is a vital trace element that plays a crucial role in our health, influencing various biochemical pathways due to its antioxidant properties. In nature, it often finds its way to our plates through foods like tuna, enriching our bodies with its antioxidant prowess.

The intricate relationship between Selenium and antioxidant properties has been extensively studied by researchers in the field, including Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at SBASSE, who is one of the contributors to a paper on Selenium derivatives. The paper was published after Dr. Rahman’s DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) scholarship visit to Germany in 2019 in collaboration with eleven international researchers, including Dr Rama Alhasan, Dr. Guilherme M. Martins, Dr. Pedro P. de Castro, Dr. Claus Jacob.  

Selenium, acting as an antioxidant powerhouse, takes center stage in this study. Nature carries very few selenium containing organic compounds, Selenoneine being one of those. In this work, the team has worked on the preparation of novel organoselenium compounds. The research zeroes in on Selenohydantoin derivatives, synthetic compounds inspired by Selenoneine. These derivatives, with their fascinating range of pharmacological applications, hold the potential to serve not just as antioxidants but as versatile agents with capabilities spanning anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiplatelet realms. Through Selenocysteine enzymes like Glutathione Peroxidase, it acts as a powerful defender, effectively reducing peroxides to explore their potential in combating oxidative stress, a state where an imbalance occurs between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to neutralize them.

Using a unique synthetic method, the researchers synthesized Selenohydantoin molecules, paving the way for a comprehensive evaluation of their antioxidant capabilities. The study employed classical radical scavenging and metal-reducing techniques to unravel the true potential of these synthetic compounds. Cytocompatibility assays demonstrated that the Selenohydantoin derivatives were not only effective antioxidants but also non-toxic to primary human aortic smooth muscle cells. Cytocompatibility refers to the compatibility of a substance with living cells, ensuring that these compounds do not harm or disrupt normal cell function, a promising aspect for further biological evaluations.

Among the synthesized compounds, those adorned with trifluoro-methyl (-CF3) and chlorine (-Cl) substituents emerged as molecules displaying noteworthy antioxidant activities. Dr. Rahman's work highlights these compounds as potential candidates for future biological studies, offering hope for innovative therapies against chronic diseases. This research focuses not only on synthetic compounds but also on the broader context of organoselenium compounds in living organisms. Looking into the future a larger picture emerges - synthesis of Selenium-based compounds could play a crucial role in developing novel and effective prevention and treatments for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Rahman has recently been honored with another DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) scholarship grant by the German Academic Exchange Service. Through the scholarship Dr. Rahman and his research team will delve into the study of various signaling proteins and kinases, with a particular focus on the innovative molecule known as Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). To learn more about Dr. Saleem's cutting-edge research and the potential impact of PROTACs on cancer treatment, follow this link.