Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors are encouraged to participate in research with Chemistry Department faculty members during their college careers. One of the unique aspects of the Dickinson program is that students may begin research as soon as the completion of their freshman year. Three options exist with regard to student research: students may complete a one semester research credit by performing a minimum of 8 hours of research per week in a faculty member's lab; a limited number of opportunities exist for performing paid summer research with faculty members on campus, and there is also the opportunity to work at another institution with Dickinson and/or non-Dickinson faculty. Additionally, qualified students are invited to participate in Honors Research with a Dickinson faculty member. As part of the Chemistry program, students are required to complete one of the three options mentioned above in order to graduate with a chemistry degree. Students who plan on continuing their studies in chemistry at the master's, Ph.D., or medical school level are encouraged to participate beyond a single semester.
Some previous faculty/student research topics include:
- Investigation of weak hydrogen bonds
- Synthetic applications of iron-arene complexes
- Laser flash photolysis
- Development of discovery-based experiments
- Selective desilation reactions
- Effect of iron binding to anthracycline drugs
- Resistance to metal toxicity in plants
- Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas siderophores
- Identification of biomolecules produced in response to iron limitation in marine cyanobacteria