The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering provides an outstanding environment to learn chemical sciences as an integrated subject that is not divided by traditional boundaries. We have state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities. Our experienced faculty strives to be at the forefront of research in their respective fields. Our ethos is to produce world-class & socially responsible individuals by providing them with an excellent academic environment that combines unique curriculum, cutting-edge research, scholarship and service to the society.
Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Faculty
Dr. Amna Ijaz cares deeply about taking the waste out of wastewater. Her work examines how tiny…
Dr. Amna Ijaz cares deeply about taking the waste out of wastewater. Her work examines how tiny particles released after burning of biomass from one part of the planet, travel through international airspace landing conveniently on some bright white snowy peaks of another part of the planet, can have a sinister effect in aiding downstream water pollution. Dr. Amna’s search for answers has led herself to land in multiple continents in trying to understand how developments in technology can lend a helping hand to solve the aerosol problem.
Dr. Amna received her MPhil in Environmental Biotechnology from National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) in Faisalabad, Pakistan, where she participated in the development a sustainable and cost-effective wastewater treatment technology that has since been extensively installed in wastewater stabilisation ponds/canals in Pakistan by her mentor at NIBGE, Dr. Muhammad Afzal's research group, for water quality restoration. She then went on to the USA through the Fulbright Foreign Student Grant to pursue a PhD at Michigan Technological University (MTU, where her research shifted to Atmospheric Chemistry.
Using state-of-the-art ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometric tools at MTU and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington, under the guidance of Dr Lynn Mazzoleni, Amna performed molecular-level characterisation of atmospheric aerosol collected downstream of wildfires, i.e., large-scale biomass burning events.
At SBASSE, Dr. Amna's teaching and research will primarily be focused on investigating chemical processes at the atmosphere (aerosol)-cryosphere (snow/ice) interface in high mountain areas of Pakistan and their impact on downstream water quality, along with an exploration of the current status of climate science and policy in Pakistan.
We congratulate and welcome Dr. Amna Ijaz to the Afiniti Fellowship program at SBASSE, LUMS, and wish her success in her academic and research endeavors.
MOF (Metal Organic Framework) is the name of the game here. This unique group of compounds, that…
MOF (Metal Organic Framework) is the name of the game here. This unique group of compounds, that look like tiny spheres trapped inside a cube-shaped frame, exhibit the extraordinary ability to be reprogrammed and therefore be reused once a chemical reaction is over. Dr. Basit Yameen, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at SBASSE, along with his team of researchers herald the age of chemicals and materials that are programmable to the wishes of the chemist.
Co-led by Dr. Basit, a team of researchers spanning three different continents (Europe, Asia and Australia) was able to pull off the extraordinary feat of developing a simple route to reprogram the chemical nature of MOF materials. One of the ways to flip the switch of reprogram-ability was found to be through thermally triggered reversible Diels–Alder (DA) and hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reactions through the trifecta of Zirconium, Zinc and Aluminium derived MOFs. In addition, the thiol-maleimide Michael addition reaction was also demonstrated as a post-synthetic modification (PSM) for the fabrication of chemically diverse MOFs.
This exciting piece of work is part of Dr. Basit’s research efforts focused on developing facile strategies for chemical reprogramming of a diverse range of materials. Considering the ever-evolving challenges associated with the sustainable and reliable access to functional materials and their fossil fuel origin, the discovery of such strategies will enable the practical realization of Circular Economy model. The members of Dr. Basit’s research group Dr. Sana Nayab (Postdoctoral research fellow) and Ms. Iqra Azeem (PhD student) played the leading role in this study.
The study was published in the leading American Chemical Society (ACS) Journal Inorganic Chemistry with the title: Reversible Diels–Alder and Michael Addition Reactions Enable the Facile Postsynthetic Modification of Metal–Organic Frameworks.
Sana Nayab, Vanessa Trouillet, Hartmut Gliemann, Peter G. Weidler, Iqra Azeem, Saadia R. Tariq, Anja S. Goldmann, Christopher Barner-Kowollik, and Basit Yameen
Inorganic Chemistry 2021 60 (7), 4397-4409
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02492
Our body works like a country – we have cells that carry out particular functions with some…
Our body works like a country – we have cells that carry out particular functions with some contributing to defense (white blood cells). One may think the greater the white blood cell count, safer the body. However, you may have heard of the moniker “excess of everything is bad”. It stands true with white blood cells too. Sometimes white blood cells are created in a much larger number, but they don’t seem to work right. Something goes awry in the production line and quantity takes over quality, abundance takes over function and blood cancer, called leukemia, begins its onset.
Leukemia relapse is observed in some patients, sometimes with deadly consequences, when a certain enzyme in these cancer cells is triggered. This ‘funny bone’ of cancer cells is the FLT3 enzyme. Ugly name for an ugly character! However, we can always trust nature to have all the elements of a well-balanced script. This is where the combined efforts of Haleema Sadia Malik and her team, including Dr. Amir Faisal and Dr. Rahman Saleem make a plot entry. The team figured out a way to ‘inject this enzyme with poison’ so that it stops working. They have discovered an enzyme inhibitor that targets specifically the FLT3 and even stops the process of reproduction within cancer cells that house this troublemaker of an enzyme. The inhibitor of ugly we’re referring to is Chalcone 4. Chalcone 4 - it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Well, Haleema’s team will agree!
Researching on a family of Chalcones, Haleema and her team have learned that different types offer different blows to FLT3 with Chalcone 4 being a direct inhibitor of FLT3 – exactly what was needed.
The research paper was published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products.
Reference: Haleema Sadia Malik, Aishah Bilal, Rahim Ullah, Maheen Iqbal, Sardraz Khan, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Karsten Krohn, Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem, Hidayat Hussain, and Amir Faisal
A smartphone like the one in your hands on which you are (perhaps) reading this text contains around 70 elements from the periodic table. Of these 70, Silicon, Aluminum, and Oxygen, Indium and Tin are the major components of the glass display and touchscreens. Likewise, the battery essentially contains Lithium, Cobalt, Oxygen, and Carbon. The study of recovery, properties, and uses of elements present in the periodic table is known as Inorganic Chemistry.
However, teaching and learning Inorganic Chemistry could be challenging as there are quite a lot of elements. For instance, the elements we just mentioned are just a few of the total 50 elements of the Main Group of the periodic table. Teaching and learning the chemistry of these elements systematically and engagingly demand innovative pedagogical methods.
While teaching the Main Group Chemistry module of Inorganic Chemistry to undergraduate students, Dr. Muhammad Zaheer, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, came up with an idea. Students were assigned a project to make posters highlighting the chemistry of selected elements assigned to them. The specific task was to develop creative ways to transform the descriptive chemistry of elements into engaging visuals (graphics, charts, illustrations, and schemes). The students were provided with all necessary guidelines and repeated feedback on their posters.
The posters—put on display in the Hallway—were visited by an overwhelming number of faculty and students. The presenters explained their posters to the visitors and answered their questions. The participants also peer-graded other posters.
The students think that this activity was quite engaging and helped them prepare the Main Group Chemistry in a more fun way. It also boosted their interest in the subject, and they learned how to communicate science to others in a concise manner.
The poster activity was the first of its kind in the department. The best of the posters will be framed and displayed in the main lobby of the department.
A smartphone like the one in your hands on which you are (perhaps) reading this text contains around 70 elements from the periodic table. Of these…
In continuation of our efforts to virtually bring the high-quality drug discovery talks to our community of learners, we are organizing Virtual DRUG DISCOVERY SYMPOSIUM 2021 (vDDS2021) on November 01, 2021, 5 PM (Monday).
This symposium will host a panel comprising of some of the top experts working at the frontiers of drug discovery. We are sure that their work and insights will pique your interest and instill a fascination for the field. This event is organized by the research groups of Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem (Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering) and Dr. Amir Faisal (Department of Biology) of SBASSE LUMS.
Topics of the event include:
- Irreversible inhibitors
- Chemical probs in drug discovery
- Target selectivity in Cancer drug design
- From-concept-to-clinic: new strategies targeting movement disorders
- Targeting molecular chaperones to regulate protein stability
Our exciting lineup of speakers include:
- Prof. Craig W. Lindsley (Vanderbilt University, Editor-in-Chief Journal of Medicinal Chemistry)
- Professor Paul Workman (Chief Executive and President, Institute of Cancer Research UK)
- Prof. Jason Gestwicki (University of California, San Francisco, USA)
- Prof. Paul Brennan (Oxford University)
- Prof. David Mann (Imperial College London)
Registrations are open till October 23, 5 PM (Pakistan Standard Time)
For more information please visit: https://sbasse.lums.edu.pk/drug-discovery-symposium
In continuation of our efforts to virtually bring the high-quality drug discovery talks to our community of learners, we are organizing Virtual DRUG DISCOVERY SYMPOSIUM 2021 (vDDS2021) on November 01, 2021, 5 PM (Monday).
کیا آپ کسی ایسے کیمیائی مادے کو جانتے ہیں جو گھریلو ٹوٹکوں سے لے کر سائنسی تجربہ گاہ تک میں استعمال ہوتا ہو؟ قدرت کے اِس کارآمد کیمیائی نگینے کو سکسینک ایسڈ کے نام سے جانا جاتا ہے۔ یہ ایک ایسا سفید قلمی نامیاتی تیزاب ہے جسے اکثر اشیائے خوردونوش کی تیاری اور دواسازی میں بھی استعمال کیا جاتا ہے۔ صنعتی سطح پر سکسینک ایسڈ کو کیمیائی طور طریقوں سے تو بنایا جا ہی رہا ہے مگر پیداوار کا یہ روایتی طریقہ مہنگے خام مال اور ماحول دشمن نتائج کی وجہ سے زیادہ کارگزار نہیں۔ کیا ہی اچھا ہو کہ اِس اہم کیمیائی مرکب کی پیداوار کا ذمہ حیاتیاتی طرزِعمل کو سونپ دیا جائے! شعبۂ کیمیا اور کیمیائی انجنئیرنگ کے ڈاکٹر روفس ڈِکسن کی تحقیق اسی مرکزی خیال کو عملی جامہ پہنانے کی ایک با معنی کوشش ہے۔
ڈاکٹر ڈِکسن کا تحقیقی مقالہ حال ہی میں ایک نامور سائنسی جریدے Energy and Environmental Science میں شائع ہوا ہے۔ اِن کی تحقیق میں سکسینک ایسڈ کو سستے، موثر اور ماحول دوست طریقوں سے بنانے کی تجویز دی گئی۔ دراصل ڈاکٹر ڈِکسن کی تحقیق ۵ اہم سوالات کے جواب تلاش کرتی ہے:
۱۔ سکسینک ایسڈ کی پیداوار میں کون سا خام مال استعمال ہونا چاہیے؟
۲- پیداوار کو مزید سستا کرنے کے لیے کون کون سی فنیات و صنعتیاتی ترکیبیں استعمال کی جا سکتی ہیں؟
۳- پیداوار سے جڑے معاشی اور ماحولیاتی اثرات کیا ہوں گے؟
۴- اس پورے عمل کو سرمایہ کار کے لیے معاشی طور پر پُرکشش کرنے میں کونسے عناصر اہمیت کے حامِل ہیں؟
۵- سکسینک ایسڈ کی پیداوار میں کون سے معاشی مسائل قابلِ نظر ہیں؟
ان سوالات کو سلجھانے کے لیے ایک ایسی سیمولیشن تیّار کی گئی ہے جِس میں صرف ایسے خاکوں پر نظرثانی کی گئی جو معاشی طور پر استحکام فراہم کر سکیں۔ “مونٹیکارلو” قِسم کی سیمولیشن کے ذریعے ہر ممکن حل کے جوکھم کا تخمینہ بھی لگایا گیا۔ ایک پیچیدہ ریاضیاتی ماڈل کے ذریعے ۸۵ ہزار سے زائد متغیر عناصر اور ۳۵ ہزار سے زائد پابندیاں لگائی گئیں، گویا سکسینک ایسڈ کی حیاتیاتی طرزِعمل کے ذریعے پیداوار کو مختلف زاویوں سے مستحکم اور قابلِ عمل بنانے کی کوشش کی گئی۔ معلوم ہوا کہ سکسینک ایسڈ کو بڑے پیمانے پر بنانے کے لیے گلیسرول سے اخذ کردہ طریقہ سب سے موثر ہے، جس کی سالانہ لاگت ۱۳.۵ کروڑ ڈالر ہوگی۔
کسی بھی سرمایہ کار کے لیے نقصان سے بچاؤ اُس کی پہلی ترجیح ہوتی ہے۔ چنانچہ اِس پوری کاوِش کو صنعتی اعتبار سے کارآمد بنانا ڈاکٹر ڈِکسن کی بھی اوّلین ترجیح رہی ہے تاکہ سکسینک ایسڈ کی بڑے پیمانے پر تیاری کو حقیقی جامہ پہنایا جا سکے اور اِس اہم کیمیائی مرکب کی ماحول دوست اور معاش دوست پیداوار کو یقینی بنایا جا سکے۔ ہم ڈاکٹر ڈِکسن کی اِس قابلِ ستائش کوشش پر اِن کو مبارک باد پیش کرتے ہیں اور امید کرتے ہیں کہ ان کو مستقبِل میں بھی ایسی کامیابیاں ملتی رہیں۔
حوالہ:
Sustainable Bio-Succinic Acid Production: Superstructure Optimization, Techno-Economic, and Lifecycle Assessment Energy & Environmental Science, Apr. 2021 doi:10.1039/D0EE03545ADickson, Rofice
کیا آپ کسی ایسے کیمیائی مادے کو جانتے ہیں جو گھریلو ٹوٹکوں سے لے کر سائنسی تجربہ گاہ تک میں استعمال ہوتا ہو؟ قدرت کے اِس کارآمد کیمیائی…
