Dr. Donald Bergstrom
Professor Emeritus
Department of Medical Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Date: October 16, 2015
Place: Chem-Sci Room 101
Time: 3:00 pm
Abstract
For more than a half century I have designed and created new molecules. My research has been shaped within the contexts of culture, time, and place, at times responding to the work of others, but always attempting to ride the wave front of science. “At the End of Chemistry” follows the trajectory of my research from rocket design in the 1950’s to nanomaterials in the 21st century. It is both report and inquiry about the nature of research.
Biography
Don Bergstrom has held faculty positions at Purdue University (1989-2011), the University of North Dakota, and the University of California, Davis. He holds degrees in chemistry from the University of Washington (BS, 1965) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, 1970). From the early 1970s the work in his laboratory focused on nucleic acid chemistry, particularly the synthetic chemistry and applications of nucleosides. In the 21st century his efforts expanded into areas of nanotechnology and new approaches to drug design based on concepts of molecular self-assembly. He is currently a 2nd year graduate student in the MFA program in Applied Craft + Design at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.