Nare Janvelyan

Metalloporphyrins are found in various different organisms ranging from humans to plants. Metalloporphyrins consist of a porphyrin macrocycle with a coordinated metal atom at their center. They are part of many biological systems such as chlorophyll, vitamin B12, cytochrome P-450, and hemoglobin. Synthetic metalloporphyrins are used as commercial dyes and catalysts in the design of solar cells, molecular electronics, and supramolecular building blocks. The metalloporphyrins interaction with light plays a critical role in many systems therefore it is important to characterize the molecules interactions with light. The goal of my […]

Angel Jung

Increasing crop yields has always been a global issue. One of the largest studies of domestic hunger, Hunger in American 2010, reported, hunger is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States (Feeding America). My research this summer focuses on identifying a bHLH gene, ms32, which promotes fertility in maize (corn), the most widely grown grain crop. As the anther – the male reproductive organ in plants – matures during early development, five distinct layers are formed and required for meiosis to function properly. One of the five layers, […]

Maria Pizzano

Butterflies are known for the remarkable patterns and colors of their wings. There are precisely arranged rows of microscopic single-cell scales across the wing surface. The color of scales can result from either the biosynthesis of pigments within the scale, or from structural coloration (sometimes both). Structural colors, such as iridescence, are of particular interest because they originate from the interaction of light with complex nanostructures that are found within or at the surface of each scale. A remarkable example of iridescence is seen on the wings of the Gulf […]

Helen Tran

To infect host cells, Salmonella uses its Type III Secretion System to inject virulence factors necessary for pathogenesis. Understanding the movement of ATP in Salmonella will help us understand how this bacterial pathogen regulates its secretion of virulence factors and its communication with host cells. This summer, I am performing a genetic analysis on bacterial proteins involved in ATP secretion of Salmonella. After screening a panel of E. coli mutants for defects in ATP secretion, it was concluded that mutants were defective in ATP secretion when two subunits of an […]

Jason Yoon

Through immune surveillance, the immune system can identify cells as self or non-self i.e. transplanted, cancerous, or pathogen-infected. Immune surveillance relies on antigen presentation to T cells. Some of these antigens arise from endogenous protein translation, through either conventional methods of translation or certain cryptic means of translation. Previous work done in the Shastri lab has shown that antigens may be generated through the usage of an alternate-non-AUG initiation codon and that this mechanism is distinct from the conventional AUG-mediated translation. This work has been done using one particular antigen-reporter […]

Bryce Jarman

The goal of my research project is to study a new method of bioconjugation: an oxidant mediated coupling reaction. This reaction is highly site specific and unreactive with the functional groups traditionally found in biological systems, making it useful for the efficient construction of biomaterials with a variety of different functions. Although this reaction has already seen a variety of uses, further studies into the mechanism will allow for even greater tuning of the reactions selectivity and efficiency. To do this I will prepare a set of internal standards and […]

Jordan Tsai

I am studying the degradation of plant biomass in the fungal model organism Neurospora crassa. The study of plant biomass degradation is important because it will both help us understand the molecular mechanisms behind this essential ecological process, and may also aid in the production of biofuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass, which could serve as an alternative to petroleum based fuels. Previous genetic analysis has implicated a N. crassa serine-threonine kinase in the cellulolytic metabolism pathway, but its molecular mechanisms remain unknown. I want to investigate the role of this […]

Rodger Yuan

Batteries with high energy density have important applications as energy storage devices in portable electronics. This summer, I will be studying solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries with block copolymer electrolytes. This the benefit of this design is twofold: the Li-S chemistry has a theoretical specific capacity over 6 times that of todays lithium-ion battery and the polymer electrolyte eliminates the need to use liquid organic electrolytes, which are flammable and volatile. However, there are many challenges that must be overcome before Li-S batteries are viable as future energy storage systems. The problem […]

Matthew Turner

Throughout the summer I will be working as part of the ALPHA collaboration in updating the current experimental apparatus and hopefully I will be able to assist in running tests by the end of summer. According to the collaboration website, “ALPHA is an international collaboration based at CERN, and whose aim is stable trapping of antihydrogen atoms, the antimatter counterpart of the simplest atom, hydrogen. By precise comparisons of hydrogen and antihydrogen, the experiment hopes to study fundamental symmetries between matter and antimatter.” My main tasks are designing and testing […]

Jacob Lewis

Myopia occurs when the eye becomes too long for the cornea and lens to properly focus the light on the retina. In myopia progression, the sclera thins and weakens causing the eye to grow axially. This summer, I will determine the effect of myopia on the mechanical properties of whole chick eyes and to determine how the sclaral creep response is affected by treatment with the myopia-control drug atropine. I will utilize a method of inflating intact eyes in order to characterize the creep response. Using intact globes allows for […]