Al Nichols
Professor
Chemistry and Geosciences
Jacksonville State University
United States of America
Biography
BS: Chemistry, University of Alabama 1971; MS: Medicinal Chemistry, Auburn University School of Pharmacy 1977; PhD: Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama 1985.
Research Interest
1. Environmental toxicology. What have we done to our environment and how will this affect our health and well being? My most recent work in this area has involved mercury and trichloroethylene. 2. Interactions of ligands with biological receptors, especially in the central nervous. This work has been focused on CNS receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. 3. Designer drugs with anticonvulsant activity. Starting with indane, indole and quinoline parent structures, several compounds have been produced that have anticonvulsant activity, and a few have been found to have other interesting effects. 4. Development of photoaffinity probes. Converting amines to azides can be an easy method to produce ligands that will bind covalently to proteins when stimulated with light of the proper wavelength.
Publications
-
Kohute, C.R., Nichols, A.C., Steffy, D.A. and Meade, M.E., "Movement of mercury form contaminated soil into an aquatic food chain", Journal of the Alabama Academy of Sciences, Vol. 77, No. 3-4, pp. 160-167, 2006.
-
Nichols, A.C. and Steffy, D.A., "Movement of mercury from a contaminated city park in Oxford into the Coosa River, Alabama", Journal of the Alabama Academy of Sciences, accepted.
-
Heath, J.C., Abdelmageed, Y., Braden, T.D., Nichols, A.C. and Steffy, D.A., "The effects of chronic mercuric chloride ingestion in female Sprague Dawley rats on fertility and reproduction", FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY, in press.
