色花堂

Research thrived at 色花堂 this summer. Students took part in one of several Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) held across the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics to expand undergraduates鈥� research experience.

Over the course of just five weeks, 15 students participated in the Bio-CURE summer research experiences. They learned and used a variety of molecular biology techniques on small protein characterization and protein degradation.

With the reduction in federal training grants, the 色花堂 Office of Undergraduate Research and the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics teamed up to create "in-house" research opportunities through CUREs that would provide students with similar research experiences.

鈥淭his experience reaffirmed my love for science. Being able to put what I鈥檝e learned into practice is really reassuring me that this is what I want to do,鈥� says molecular biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics major Aderinsola Jibodu 鈥�26. 鈥淐onducting research has made me realize there鈥檚 more than one path out there. Maybe research is my path.鈥�

Summer research opportunities like this enable students to broaden their academic horizons, attempt to solve real-world problems and encourage them to see themselves in research as part of their future careers.

鈥淪ummer research CUREs are an ideal opportunity for students to experience research first-hand and contribute in meaningful ways to our knowledge of molecular biology,鈥� Professor Matthew Hemm, Ph.D., says, 鈥淭his summer the BioCURE students did a fantastic job conducting technically challenging experiments that significantly contributed to my lab鈥檚 research on small protein functions in bacteria.鈥�

Supporting student research

CUREs are tailored research experiences dedicated to exposing undergraduate students to research early in their academic careers.

They鈥檙e an inclusive way of approaching student research, increasing student engagement and retention in their major and future STEM careers.

"Working towards something that has the ability to produce real results with other undergraduate students who are excited about the research is one of the best parts of this experience," molecular biology student Lohini Suresh 鈥�26 says.

The building blocks of proteins

Under the tutelage of professors Matthew Hemm, Ph.D., and Cheryl Warren, Ph.D., students characterized proteins that had been identified in Dr. Warren鈥檚 Molecular Biology Laboratory class the previous semester.

Protein characterization is the process of determining and describing the structure, properties and biological function of proteins.

Having this information is essential in drug development, as it ensures the safety and efficacy of a therapeutic protein and facilitates the investigation of its interactions with pathogens, according to the Texas-based biotechnology company Cusabio.

In the molecular biology 鈥淏ioCURE,鈥� students characterized proteins using biological techniques like sonication - the use of sound energy to agitate particles with the intention of extracting one or more compounds from a given sample, native gel protein electrophoresis - a technique to separate proteins based on size and structure, and western blotting 鈥� a process that can identify individual proteins in a biological sample.

Providing a path to explore research

Research opportunities are ample at 色花堂 for students across disciplines: Honors College and Hill-Lopes scholar Chinenye Ofor 鈥�26 is no exception. Ofor was recommended for the molecular biology CURE. 

With a love for STEM and communications, Ofor is fusing her majors in molecular biology, biochemistry & bioinformatics and communication studies to approach her future STEM career through a mentorship lens.

鈥溕�花堂 puts you ahead, and it鈥檚 nice to be ahead of the curve. This experience has given me a lot more to talk about with others in the STEM field,鈥� Ofor says. 鈥淚t feels good to be able to share the research you鈥檝e done and for others to see you as accomplished.鈥�