Elaine O’Reilly is in the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, and works on the development of biocatalysts and biocatalytic methodology.

1. What made you want to be a chemist?

I originally went to University to study genetics, having been fascinated with Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and natural selection from a young age. During my degree at University College Dublin, I took chemistry as one of four choices in first year with the intention of dropping it as soon as possible. I would love to say that the subject captivated me from the onset but in reality, I really struggled with it. Thanks largely to help from one of my lecturers (Prof. Earle Waghorne – thank you!) and a good group of friends, I managed to scrape by. It was in second year that I started to really enjoy chemistry and after spending time in a research lab in my final year, I realized that I was hooked.

2. If you weren’t a chemist and could do any other job, what would it be — and why?

I would love to be an actress on the West End! Aside from the fact that I can’t sing or dance, I would be absolutely perfect! My mum, Phyllis, always told me I was a real ‘abbey actor’ when I was a child and I think I still am.

3. What are you working on now, and where do you hope it will lead?

We are trying to develop biocatalysts that will convert abundant materials into high-value chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Our overall aim is that we will have a ‘toolbox’ of (engineered) enzymes available for a much wider range of synthetic transformations, with a particular focus on those that are challenging or impossible using a more traditional chemical approach. My ambition is for our research to make a real difference in peoples’ lives and if we achieved this directly with our science, I could retire happy. However, perhaps on a smaller scale, I try to be a good mentor to the next generation of scientists, who have the ability to make a powerful impact on people’s lives. I like to think I do the best I can for students who choose to work in my laboratory with the hope that they will become far more capable scientists than I am and truly make a difference.

4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with — and why?

I suspect that he gets a lot of fantasy dinner invites, but it would have to be Charles Darwin. His work has fascinated me for many years and I would love to hear how his theories and ideas were carved out. His research not only directly inspires the work we undertake in our laboratory (directed evolution and protein redesign), but has shaped the way we all look at the world around us.

5. When was the last time you did an experiment in the lab — and what was it?

I have been on maternity leave since August 2016 so between that and being pregnant, I have mostly avoided the lab. The last time I was active was in 2015 and I was trying to develop a high-throughput screening strategy to enable the directed evolution of transaminase biocatalysts. This involved synthesizing some diamines, which should have been easy (it wasn’t). I have since passed the task over to one of my students.

6. If exiled on a desert island, what one book and one music album would you take with you?

I would take How to Survive on a Desert Island’ by Tim O’Shei and Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall.

7. Which chemist would you like to see interviewed on Reactions — and why?

I would like to see Prof. Donald Hilvert interviewed. His group is doing some inspiring work in a similar area to our own.

Paolo Melchiorre is an ICREA Research Professor and a Group Leader at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Tarragona (Spain). He works on the discovery and mechanistic elucidation of enantioselective organocatalytic and photochemical processes. Paolo recently published a paper in Nature Chemistry entitled “Visible-light excitation of iminium ions enables the enantioselective catalytic β-alkylation of enals.”

1. What made you want to be a chemist?

My father is a medical chemist (now retired) — I guess the fact that his colleagues/friends were often around during my childhood might have had something to do with my decision to study chemistry. As for innate propensity, I was always curious about natural phenomena, their mechanisms and meanings.

2. If you weren’t a chemist and could do any other job, what would it be — and why?

Any activity related to freedom and exploration. But I’ve always liked sports and, when I was a child, I would have loved to have become a sportscaster.

3. What are you working on now, and where do you hope it will lead?

We are exploring the reactivity of chiral organocatalytic intermediates upon light excitation. An electronically excited state can unlock reaction pathways that aren’t available to conventional ground-state chemistry. So combining enantioselective organocatalysis with photochemistry can offer unconventional ways of making chiral molecules. We believe that this approach will not be limited to organocatalysis, but could be applied to other areas of modern synthetic chemistry.

4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with — and why?

It is really hard to choose only one! There are so many historical figures with whom I would love to have dinner: from Julius Caesar and Charles Darwin, to Copernicus, Primo Levi, and Marie Curie. But probably my final choice would be Leonardo da Vinci, a real man of the future – I could even use Italian to talk with him and try to understand how a genius thinks.

5. When was the last time you did an experiment in the lab — and what was it?

A long time ago, in 2010. It was the very beginning of our studies on photochemistry, and I performed a reaction that required UV irradiation. As a light source, I used the UV lamp that was generally used in the lab for thin-layer chromatography visualization. Incredibly, the reaction worked a bit.

6. If exiled on a desert island, what one book and one music album would you take with you?

La Divina Commedia – a long time has passed since I read it at school, and it would be long enough to keep me busy and thinking for a while. As for the music, Radiohead’s full discography, but only if I am alone. Otherwise, my wife and kids would destroy it.

7. Which chemist would you like to see interviewed on Reactions — and why?

Ryan Gilmour and Dieter Seebach. I believe the former will strongly influence Europe’s organic chemistry community; the latter has profoundly done so.

Amit Kumar is the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) energy club and a research scientist in the Lienhard research group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He works on clean energy technology and sustainable water-energy-bioelectrochemical systems for energy generation and resource recovery. Amit recently published a paper in Nature Reviews Chemistry entitled “The ins and outs of microbial-electrode electron transfer reactions”.

1. What made you want to study chemistry?

Chemistry is unique and plays a huge role in the world we live in, especially with respect to chemical commodities and energy production. I recently completed my postdoctoral studies in the Chemical Engineering Department at MIT, where my continued interest in engineering chemistry evolved – I feel we cannot do any resource recovery or energy science without chemistry. In my view, chemical/biological/environmental engineering without chemistry is like a skeleton without bones.

2. If you weren’t an engineer and could do any other job, what would it be — and why?

I would love to be a full-time world explorer, such as Sir David Attenborough, because exploring unexplored nature is fascinating. My upbringing in a farmer’s family may well be the reason for this!

3. What are you working on now, and where do you hope it will lead?

I am working on the water-energy interface for the production of chemicals using electrochemical systems. This is fascinating because the world needs access to sustainable clean water and energy. In addition, I am also working on energy-efficient electro-systems to recover resources. I am hoping that my current work will help provide environmentally sound and sustainable solutions to the pressing need for clean water and energy.

4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with — and why?

If I could time travel I would like to have dinner with the revolutionary Nelson Mandela and would love to learn everything from his struggles for humanity. I have so many questions for him (such as how he felt, what type of energy kept him going for decades, and difficulties he faced… this list is long) which I would not trade for anything, I would rather ask him during our personal conversation instead of reading a third party.

5. When was the last time you did an experiment in the lab — and what was it?

A couple of months ago, I was converting leftover fracking gas into biofuels. The experiment involved coupling the oxidation of methane — from reserve fracking gas — to reduction of sulfate in an engineered system as an environmentally sound and sustainable alternative technology. In other words, this work aims to use natural biocatalysts to capture electrons from methane to give sulfides.

6. If exiled on a desert island, what one book and one music album would you take with you?

For the book, I would take The Incredible Human Journey by Dr Alice Roberts. The album would be Radioaxiom: A Dub Transmission by Jah Wobble and Bill Laswell.

7. Which chemist would you like to see interviewed on Reactions — and why?

Prof. Alan Aspuru-Guzik of Harvard University has a unique approach towards materials for renewable energy. Although I have known of his work for some time, last week I moderated a panel discussion including Alan and I realized he is a great human being on top of a great scientist.

Nilay Hazari is in the Department of Chemistry at Yale University and studies synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry, with an emphasis on reaction mechanisms and catalysis. Nilay recently published a paper in Nature Reviews Chemistry entitled ‘Well-defined nickel and palladium precatalysts for cross-coupling’.

1. What made you want to be a chemist?

As an undergraduate I was a double major in chemistry and statistics. Pursuing a career in either of these two areas would have enabled me to understand how systems work and analyze data regularly. However, chemistry allows me to interact and work with many different people on a daily basis, which I greatly enjoy.

2. If you weren’t a chemist and could do any other job, what would it be — and why?

A sports commentator. There are so many different sports that I love watching, playing and understanding. A job as a sports commentator would allow me to watch a large amount of high level sports live and also pass on my passion to other people.

3. What are you working on now, and where do you hope it will lead?

My group is working on developing transition metal catalysts for a range of different process relating to the synthesis of both pharmaceuticals and fine and commodity chemicals. More specifically, there are mechanistic challenges associated with nickel catalyzed cross-coupling and carboxylation reactions that I would like my group to assist the community in solving in order to design improved systems. Additionally, the incorporation of a catalyst for formic acid or methanol dehydrogenation that my group and our great friends the Bernskoetter group at the University of Missouri develop into a functioning and practical device is another long-term goal.

4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with — and why?

Richard Feynman, who was a great scientist who by all accounts was a lively story teller with a diverse range of interests.

5. When was the last time you did an experiment in the lab — and what was it?

Around one month ago I made a pincer supported Pd complex from the literature for an undergraduate student who I am working with. I find working in lab to be an excellent break from my normal routine, which involves spending a large amount of time in front of my computer and in meetings. I also enjoy interacting with my co-workers in the lab.

6. If exiled on a desert island, what one book and one music album would you take with you?

For the book, I would choose A Catcher in The Rye by J. D Salinger, and for the album I would go with What’s the Story Morning Glory by Oasis. I was introduced to this album by my lab mates during my PhD and have numerous pleasant memories associated with it.

7. Which chemist would you like to see interviewed on Reactions — and why?

Ann Valentine, as she is an excellent role model and always has amusing and interesting anecdotes.