The New England Molecular Structure Center

Background:
Since its creation in 1990, when the New England Molecular Structure Center (NEMSC) within the Department of Chemistry was created at Keene State College under the direction of Dr. Jerry Jasinski, over 600 x-ray crystallographic structure determinations with more than 100 collaborators from all parts of the world have been completed with in the context of an undergraduate teaching/research enviroment.

Keene State College is a four year, primarily undergraduate, degree granting institution in the state of New Hampshire and a member of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). The chemistry department is housed on the second floor of the science building, which includes the disciplines of Biology, Geology, Physics, Computer Science, Enviromental Science and Geography. The science building, built in 1968, will be undergoing a major multi-million dollar expansion/renovation within the next 4-6 years. The chemistry department occupies about 8,500 sq. ft. with approximately 1,000 sq. ft. devoted to research in the current building. It is the only college or university, public or private, in New Hampshire, Maine, or Vermont with an active crystallographic laboratory and associated crystallographer. Many faculty members of the flagship research institution at Durham, NH (UNH) and at nearby quality private institutions (including Dartmouth College, Smith College, College of the Holy Cross, and Clark University) have routinely collaborated with undergraduates and Dr. Jasinski at Keene State on chemical problems of mutual interest involving crystallography during the past decade. Visitations by collaborating mentors and their students have been a common practice in the recent past.

molecule
Description of Current X-ray Diffraction Facilities:
The current diffractometer (RIGAKU AFC6S with data collection TEXSAN software on a PC Pentium II microcomputer and structure solution TEXSAN software on a PC Pentium II microcomputer was purchased with NSF support (NSF-RUI Instrumentation Grant #8818307)) in 1990 and has produced about 75 structures a year. Recently a Nicolet P2/1 with a MicroVAX II microcomputer attached was donated to the College but has not yet been placed into service due to severe instrument and computer update needs. The chemistry department at Keene State College does not set goals for the number of publishable structures that we do. The major emphasis is placed on the quality and importance of what we do, the efficiency of its production, as well as involving undergraduates in high quality research activities with an in-house faculty mentor and often with extramural collaborators from all corners of the world. The experience gained by these undergraduates in this enviroment and exposure to major research activities of these collaborators has completely changed the way that many undergraduates at Keene State have related to the chemistry program.

Major Collaborators(1995-99)