Ashley Yang

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults, composed of a microenvironment that suppresses the defense function of T-cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have recently become a robust form of adoptive cell therapy, also known as cellular immunotherapy. Studies on GB treatment using CAR-NK cells have identified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII) as a target which distinguishes GB cells from healthy brain cells. Currently, there is a lack of CAR-NK cell mouse models. My project will seek to fill the gaps […]

James Lu

My research project stems from an early observation in our lab where a lytic phage called SHL created plaques (zones of bacterial clearance) with highly variable sizes. This is interesting because it is expected that a homogenous population would produce plaques of relatively similar sizes because they all have the same genetic makeup. Based on past experiments I have conducted and papers in the field, I hypothesized that the variation in plaque size could be the result of subpopulations within the SHL stock that have varying adsorption rates. Over the […]

Marvin Miller

The primary objective of this research proposal is to examine the effect of aging on the lactate receptor GPR81 and metabolic inflexibility. GPR81 gets activated by lactate among the series of short-chain carboxylic acids and reduces intracellular cAMP levels that influence the inhibition of fatty acid transporter and lipolysis (Ahmed, Kashan, et al., p315). Metabolic flexibility is the cells’ ability to shift from one energy source to the next, for example, glucose to fat. With aging, there is a reduction in the ability to shift energy sources. The inability for […]

DJena See

Tardigrades are frequently studied for their profound ability to withstand environmental stressors, but the mechanisms and degree to which they survive these conditions have been demonstrated to differ between species. This project explores how one freshwater tardigrade species, Hypsibius exemplaris, tolerates subfreezing temperatures by an apparently unique method that avoids desiccation. Existing literature suggests that the remarkable cold tolerance of this species is due to cold tolerance protein expression in response to slow cooling of their environment. However, the precise biochemical and biomolecular mechanisms underlying this cryobiotic ability in H. […]

Kenneth Trang

While most famously a holiday symbol of love and affection, mistletoe plants also play an indispensable role in the balance of global woodland ecosystems, providing birds with shelter and nutrition, while also replenishing soil nutrients and carbon via high leaf shedding rates. In fact, experiments have demonstrated that the removal of mistletoe populations can lead to a dramatic loss in species diversity. Therefore, though often criminalized for its parasitic nature, in reality mistletoe plants serve as an ecological Robin Hood effectively stealing from the rich to give to the poor. […]

Kelly Chou

Over 40% of U.S. freshwater withdrawals are used for the generation of thermoelectric power: more than the amount withdrawn for agricultural irrigation and domestic use combined. Such high water demand can largely be attributed to waters critical role as an industrial coolant. Phase change materials can greatly decrease the volume of water required to cool thermoelectric power generators. PCMs work by absorbing heat through a phase transition, and can greatly increase the heat capacity of water. Sugar alcohols, like erythritol, are ideal phase change materials because they are cheap, widely […]

Victoria Vo

All steps of female reproduction, including ovulation, fertilization, and pregnancy, rely on timed secretion of reproductive hormones. The release of hormones in our bodies coincide with our exposure to the natural light and dark cycle. In women with poor sleep hygiene and irregular work schedules, circadian desynchronization has been shown to negatively impact different stages of the reproductive cycle, leading to irregular menstrual cycles, decreased fertility, and increased miscarriage rates. Additionally, with the rise of modern technology, exposure to artificial light from laptops and phones at night poses an even […]

David Noble

Post-transcriptional regulation is vital for cell survival and proliferation in diverse environments, but little is understood about the underlying regulatory networks or their mechanisms. Regulation of mRNA expression is an essential process in cells that involves RNA binding proteins targeting mRNAs to change their localization, expression, and stability. These RNA binding proteins do not act in isolation; they are often involved in various pathways that also regulate their function. Our lab group has designed and performed numerous high-throughput screens to collect data about genes and proteins involved in post-transcriptional regulation […]

Kyle Zolkin

The environmental plastic problems that plague our planet have become increasingly threatening and an urgent need to solve this epidemic has arisen. Efforts to mitigate this damage have been made but recycling approaches are inefficient and do not eliminate microplastics and enzymatic plastic degradation is costly and diffusion limited. We have proposed a nanoscopic dispersion of enzyme in plastic complexes, creating fully functional materials that have programmable degradation and do not create microplastics. While these complexes are effective in eliminating microplastics, the mechanism in which they do so is still […]

Sarah Schwarz

In a crystalline solid, the constituent atoms electron orbitals overlap, forming energy bands which allow electrons to travel through the solid as waves. The interaction between local electrons in f-orbitals and delocalized, wave-like band states of the conduction electrons underlies several areas of contemporary, fundamental research in solid state physics. In my SURF fellowship I will research Cerium-Bismuth (CeBi), a crystalline solid similar to the well studied Cerium-Antimony (CeSb). These compounds are part of a larger family of materials called the cerium monopnictides. CeBi and CeSb share the same crystalline […]