HOT STUFF: CHEMISTRY FACULTY AND STUDENTS REAP AWARDS
BPI Science Awardee 2004 and Dean's Awardee for Outstanding Student Research Undergraduate-Technology Category
Ellazar
V. Niangar
BS Chemistry with Computer Engineering
Ellazar Niangar, a native
of Bacolod City, was inspired by his high school chemistry teacher to pursue
a degree in chemistry.
"As a child, I have always been fascinated by science. I find it very
interesting. I like learning scientific laws and discoveries. It is also
a reliable source of knowledge," he explains.
A consistent dean's lister and government scholar since high school, Ellazar
has always done well in school. He says that winning the BPI Science award
would further deepen his commitment to science and of returning the favor
to the country by contributing to science and technology.
"This award will greatly open many job opportunities for me and hasten
the fulfillment of my dream of being able to work in a good company and
help support my family. It is my deep desire to be able to support my younger
sister through college, as well as my many poor relatives. Awards like this
inspire students like me to strive hard in their studies, persevere, and
develop their potential as future scientists," shares the son of a
minister and an elementary school teacher.
After graduation, Ellazar plans to work first before deciding on whether
he will pursue chemistry or engineering. But he is definite that obtaining
a doctorate in the field of chemistry or material science is in the works.
He will also definitely do more research work and eventually join the academe
after he has established himself as a serious scientist.
"It is my desire to impart the knowledge that I would have gained to
students and positively influence them in pursuing their interest in science.
Given the chance, I would personally want to provide scholarship grants
to poor but deserving students through established foundations," he
says.
He says that if he had not taken up chemistry, he would probably have been
in theater or would have taken up philosophy. "I like contemplating
metaphysical ideas and truths about nature and reality, like the existence
of God, and reconciling it with scientific truths and knowledge," he
reveals.
Ellazar chose to research on the Preparation and Characterization of a Single
Layer Polymer LED Using MEH-PPV. He explains that this came about because
of his fascination with the idea of plastics that conduct electricity and
light.
"Visions and product concepts of very thin, lightweight, and flexible
display devices inspired me to investigate this new and promising field
of study. More importantly, it provides an innovative low-cost technology
for backlighting in cellular phones, PDAs and other hand-helds, wide-surface
wall illumination, and of course display applications," he elaborates.
When not dabbling with chemistry, Ellazar likes to play billiards and table
tennis and watch plays. He is also into music. He has even written, mixed
and arranged original rap compositions and recorded some of them using a
personal computer.
(taken from BPI Science Awards 2004 Awardees Descriptions, p. 13)
Note: Mr. Ellazar Niangar now teaches at the AdMU Department of Chemistry and is a staff of the National Chemistry Instrumentation Center, also in AdMU.
Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies (PFCS)
Dr. Modesto
T. Chua
2004 PFCS Achievement Award in Chemical Industry
Dr. Modesto Chua is a cornerstone
in the creation of the Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry
(PIPAC). He is currently the institute director, a position he has held
since 1973. PIPAC has, in more than 30 years of its existence, contributed
to industry and the nation through its training programs, analytical service
to industry especially to exporters and in research and development. The
Institute has become an industry standard in terms of reliable chemical
analysis in the country.
Dr. Chua has also served as consultant in various industrial firms foremost
of which are the United Drug Laboratories on the chemical aspects of product
quality assurance; the Beecham Group Ltd., for the assessment of chemical
aspects of drug Patents and in the Agro-Industrial Projects of the Manila
Banking Corporation. He obtained his Doctorate Degree in Chemistry at the
University of Bonn, Germany. He is a professor of Chemistry at the Ateneo
de Manila University.
(taken from 19th Philippine Chemistry Congress Souvenir Program, p 10)
Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) Republica Awards
Outstanding Research and Publication Awards
The CHED REPUBLICA AWARDS are offered annually to recognize and reward outstanding research outputs that contribute to the discovery of new knowledge, the development of innovative technology that lead to sustainable development or generation of concepts which propel significant advances in the CHED-identified priority disciplines.
OBJECTIVES
To provide impetus for enhancing research productivity in public and private
HEIs
To promote greater appreciation of the importance o0f research in higher education and in national development
To recognize excellence in research
Regional
Runner-Up
III and NCR 2
Structural Analysis of Carrageenan from Farmed Varieties of Philippine Seaweed
Jennifer T. Aguilan, J.E. Broom, J.A. Hemmingson, F.M. Dayrit, M.N.E. Montaño, M.C.A. Dancel, M.R. Niñonuevo and R.H. Furneaux
This work involved careful
and scientifically sound characterization of a natural substance found in
Philippine seaweeds. It employed a battery of state-of-the-art techniques
such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR)
spectrophotometer, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and molecular
taxonomic methodologies for the structural analysis of the substance. This
is scientifically significant because the bulk of structural analysis on
biopolymers done today are mostly on proteins leaving a lot of questions
on applying similar techniques to carbohydrates. In particular, carbohydrates
are more difficult to analyze because of their masses and linkage isomerism.
Thus, for carbohydrates that are found in local seaweed varieties, a thorough
structural characterization is now available from this work.
The ?-carrageenan in Kappaphycus sp. 'Sacol' variety, the major species
now farmed in the Philippines, has been chemically characterized by FT-IR,
1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and constituent sugar and methylation analyses.
The three Kappaphycus species contained predominantly ?-carrageenan with
low levels of ?-carrageenan, methylated carrageenan and µ-precursor
residues, while Euchema denticulatum contained predominantly ?-carrageenan
with significant amounts of ?-precursor residues. Molecular analysis using
the rbcL sequence revealed that the Kappaphycus sp. 'Sacol' variety is most
likely a form of K. cottonii.
With increasing global competition and tougher trade barriers, product specifications
have also increasingly become more detailed usually requiring many of the
advanced techniques typically available only in advanced economies. This
is important technical input, which will find use by international food
regulatory bodies such as Codex Alimentarius, for better acceptance of the
product in the world market. The results of this work can be used to assist
seaweed farmers in seaweed farm management, in particular, in the strain
selection and identification, in optimum harvest conditions, and for increasing
productivity. This is especially critical considering that approximately
500 thousand families make seaweeds farming as their main livelihood. This
work provides technical information that will benefit the seaweed processing
industry, in terms of product quality and development.
Publication: Botanica Marina, Vol. 46, pp. 179-192 (March 2003 issue)
|
Authors: Dr. Jennifer Aguilan is currently a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry, Ateneo de Manila University where she is also currently taking her Ph.D in Chemistry. She chose to work on the structural analysis of carrageenan from farmed varieties of Philippine seaweed because of the socio-economic importance of this industry to the Philippines. |
 |
| Dr. Fabian Dayrit is currently a professor of chemistry and Dean of the School of Science and Engineering of the Ateneo de Manila University. He is also the Director of the National Chemistry Instrumentation Center and President of the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines. |
(from 2004 CHED Republica
Awards Write-up, p. 2 and p. 11)
