If your Chemistry-trained grad student is past 7 years, you may want to ask some questions

August 30, 2011

From the unfortunate Dunlap laboratory at Dartmouth College.

Randy Lambreghts received his B.S. in Chemistry and M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Ghent, Belgium. His current research involves identifying novel components of the Neurospora circadian clock using classical genetic mapping as well as next-generation sequencing techniques. He enjoys travelling and plans to see all of South America after graduation.

News of our young hero [PubMed] from The Dartmouth:

A Dartmouth graduate student was arrested for the attempted manufacture of methamphetamine/amphetamine on Sunday, the Union Leader reported.

Randy Lambreghts, 28, whose graduate date is not listed in the Dartmouth Network Directory, allegedly ran a methamphetamine lab from his 3 School St. apartment, according to the Union Leader.

and from here:

After the DEA got a search warrant, a field team searched the pad, collected evidence suspected of being related to making meth, and sent it to a lab; it is still being analyzed, Giaccone said.

Lambreghts was charged Tuesday with one count of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine/amphetamine, Giaccone said. He was being held on $20,000 bail.

Lambreghts lives with two other people, but they are not expected to be charged, Giaccone added.

Lambreghts, who had been studying at the Ivy League school for about seven years, received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s in biochemistry from the University of Ghent, in Belgium, according to a Dartmouth website.

Ugh.

UPDATE: The title has been modified to remove the inaccurate impression that Lambreghts was enrolled in a Chemistry graduate program.

No Responses Yet to “If your Chemistry-trained grad student is past 7 years, you may want to ask some questions”

  1. Alan Quartermaine Says:

    He is not a chemistry graduate student. His undergraduate degree is chemistry. He is a graduate student in molecular and cellular biology.

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  2. drugmonkey Says:

    thanks for the correction AQ

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  3. drugmonkey Says:

    I gotta say, being that he was around a college town I’m a little surprised he was cooking Meth and not Ecstasy or one of the new cathinones the kids are into.

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  4. Maybe he was warming up with an easy model (synthetically speaking)? Cooking for the townies? Anticipating demand for a drug that would help more with homework and exam-cramming than with glow-stick dance parties?

    Yeah, I dunno. Kids today and all that.

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  5. becca Says:

    DM- the Dartmouth article states nothing about how long he’d been up to the meth synthesis. I’d argue this is a reason not to look crosseyed at your 7 year students, but a reason to get your 7 year students out… grad school drives people to crazy things. Just sayin.

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  6. drugmonkey Says:

    Fair point becca

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  7. Hermitage Says:

    Nerd fail. Half the time ‘townie’ meth labs don’t even get found until they blow themselves up.

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  8. drugmonkey Says:

    One of the news accounts claims his roommates turned him in, worried about his health or something….no explosions necessary.

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  9. CockMonkey Says:

    I’d argue this is a reason not to look crosseyed at your 7 year students, but a reason to get your 7 year students out…

    I suspect that the reason 99% of 7 year grad students take 7 years is because they are focused on things other than their important research. If they cared about their work, they’d be in the lab 18 hours a day and wouldn’t have time for such foolishness.

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  10. drugmonkey Says:

    Looks like Dartmouth may have pulled down the lab website. Kinda weaksauce….unless the staff are being harassed by the press…

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  11. anon Says:

    I did not read your links to the news article, but this must be devastating to Dr. Dunlap and other members of his lab. Was there any inkling that something may have been going on with this student? Science professor (aka FSP) has a few posts about this issue – whether a mentor/supervisor should intervene if they suspect that a student needs help (in this case, an arrest..):

    http://scientopia.org/blogs/science-professor/2011/08/23/like-a-business/#comments

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  12. drugmonkey Says:

    I regret that my attempt at a humorous title comes across as blaming the PI, anon.

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  13. Brigitte De Bondt Says:

    This 28 yrs old boy I know him from childhood believe me his dream was to win a nobleprice for his mom.So please give him a chance to explain what went wrong we here in Belgium know Randy as a smart good person living in his world of science

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  14. Grumble Says:

    Another tragic tale of “a smart good person living in his world of science”:
    http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-03-26/news/bal-md.mccracken26mar26_1_drug-case-plea-deal-clinton-b-mccracken

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  15. drugmonkey Says:

    Yeah, I blogged that case Grumbie. Very sad. There were actually two people but one of them didn’t make it.

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  16. Lieven Says:

    Any news about Randy ? Is he still in jail ? Did he come already for the court of justice ? Or get a penalty ?

    Lieven

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