Department of Chemistry
The Department provides a wide range specialist chemistry degree courses relevant to the environment, industry, school teaching, research and government service. In addition the chemistry courses are part of the basic requirements in other subjects such as medicine, biology and technology.
In addition, the Department has maintained a consistently high level of research funding and postgraduate numbers over many years. Much of the Department is situated in the new Science Building (2000) which has state-of-the art teaching and laboratory facilities. The Department is located in the Gløshaugen campus close to other science departments, and the Library. The University has an active Student Union and Chemical Society.
We teach chemistry for two types of degree: Chemical engineering and within natural science. It is possible to combine courses from both thereby providing flexibility. The former study is somewhat more programmed than the latter.
Our research is mainly basic research encompassing structural chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, thermodynamics, molecular modeling, environmental and analytical chemistry. Much of our research is interdisciplinary with collaboration with other subjects such as medicine and physics. The Department also plays a major role in the Swiss-Norwegian Beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France.
News
Laid the golden egg with possible cure for cancer
May 2, 2013
Bård Helge Hoff from the Department of Chemistry and his research group won TTO's idea competition Gullegget. The victory gives the group one million NOK to the project, which may eventually help the treatment of cancer.
May 2, 2013
Bård Helge Hoff from the Department of Chemistry and his research group won TTO's idea competition Gullegget. The victory gives the group one million NOK to the project, which may eventually help the treatment of cancer.
Bård Hoff, Steffen Bugge and Svein Jacob Kaspersen from the Department of Chemistry at NTNU and Eirik Sundby from the Department of Technology at HIST came up with the best idea at NTNU this year.
In the idea competition "Gullegget", arranged by NTNU for the first time, about 50 ideas were considered by NTNU Technology Transfer Office (TTO). It was the possible cancer cure that won first prize.
Steffen Bugge, Bård Hoff, Rector Torbjørn Digernes, Svein Jacob Kaspersen and Eirik Sundby. As the owner of TTO, NTNU Rector Torbjørn Digernes handed out the prize.
- This is an important part of our mission for society, he said. - Through commercialization of ideas, society gets good use of the knowledge we produce. It is also very satisfying that this project shows that cooperation with HIST bear fruit.
Photo: Per Henning / NTNU
Prevents cell mutation
Bård Helge Hoff and the research group have studied a type of kinase inhibitor. Kinases is an enzyme class that affects the activities of other enzymes. The Kinases convey signals and control complex processes in cells. In some cancers, these kinases are overactive by being in high numbers or they contain mutations. This means that the cancer cells can grow rapidly.
The research group has found a way to inhibit the signals a certain type of kinase sends out, so that cancer cells do not get evolved. Although the project is at an early stage, the group hopes that the molecules that are detected can be used in future cancer treatment.
Billion Dollar Market
Kinase inhibitors themselves are not new, but the challenge is that the body develops immunity to the treatment. A new kinase inhibitor would be an attractive addition to the market, which already amounts to about $30 billion annually in the U.S. alone.
Community Missions
Arranging Idea Competitions like Gullegget is one of the ways NTNU works to stimulate values and highlight the knowledge produced at the university in the best interests of society.
The prize money the research group won will be used to further develop the project. Among other things, the idea will be patented and that requires significant financial funds.
The ideas should be visible
- This is very gratifying for the NT faculty, says Åse Krøkje, vice dean for research at the faculty. - There have already been several good ideas from our research, but the potential is still huge. I hope that activities such as TTO's idea competition can contribute to the further development of more good ideas.
Location:
Department of Chemistry
Høgskoleringen 5
Realfagbygget blokk D, 2.etg.
Map
Address:
Department of Chemistry, NTNU
N-7491 Trondheim
Norway
E-mail: postmottak@chem.ntnu.no
Phone: +47 735 50870
Fax: +47 735 50877
