Readers of this primer develop the skill to identify problems in their research for which code may automate operations and scale a large volume of data or calculation. In addition, the authors shorten the time from “learning” to “using” Python through meaningful problem sets in Chapter One.
Kiyoto Aramis Tanemura is a Ph.D. student working in the research group of Prof. Kenneth M. Merz in the Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University. At the interface of computational chemistry and artificial intelligence, his research aims to develop methodologies to predict spectral properties of small organic molecules for high throughput identification. He completed his B.A. at Kalamazoo College in Chemistry and Mathematics, with concentrations in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology as well as Biological Physics. He uses Python every day in all aspects of his research.
Diego Sierra-Costa is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University under the supervision of Prof. Kenneth M. Merz. His research in mathematical artificial intelligence and chemistry focuses on developing new representations of small molecules for the prediction and calculation of physicochemical properties. Diego received his B.Sc. in Physics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico where he focused on quantum optics and cold atoms. Photo credit: Delilah Pacheco
Kenneth M. Merz, Jr. is the Joseph Zichis Chair in Chemistry and a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the ACS Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. His research interest lies in the development of theoretical and computational tools and their application to biological problems including structure and ligand-based drug design, mechanistic enzymology, and methodological verification and validation. He has received several honors including election as an ACS Fellow, the 2010 ACS Award for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship.