This year’s Daniell Chemistry Lecture had particular relevance for the QE boys who formed part of the audience at King’s College London. The lecture, entitled Proteins in the gas phase – my flexible friends, was delivered by Professor Dame Carol Robinson of Oxford University. She is renowned for her work in the use of mass spectrometry, a topic currently being studied by Year 12 Chemists.
Professor Dame Robinson is a Royal Society Research Professor, Doctor Lee’s Professor Elect at the University of Oxford and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She is the first female Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and was previously the first female Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge.
In addition to pioneering the use of mass spectrometry as an analytical tool, she is renowned for her ground-breaking research into the 3D structure of proteins. Eighteen boys from QE attended, accompanied by two teaching staff.
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“The boys were enthralled by the lecture,” said Chemistry teacher, Dr David Crouch. “It resonated with what they are learning in the classroom and was, undoubtedly, a positive experince for them.”
The annual Daniell lecture is delivered by internationally renowned scientists and covers a topic of current interest. Speakers are chosen not only for their outstanding contribution to modern scientific knowledge, but also for their ability to communicate the essence of their research to a youthful audience. It is arranged by the Department of Chemistry at King's and sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry.