Talmage Participants

2022 Co-hort

YuCheng "Sam" Hong

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University - Idaho

Faculty Advisor: Professor Andrus

Research: This summer, I worked on synthesizing a new asymmetric micellar catalyst in the Andrus lab. This catalyst was modified with a MacMillan catalyst attached to its tail. I optimized the steps for producing the modified MacMillan catalyst as well as all purification and characterization of the new material.

Haeun Gim

Undergraduate Institution: Utah Valley University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Van Ry

Research: This summer, I worked with the tissue engineering team in the Van Ry lab for organotypic tissue formation in a lung alveolar model in soluble extracellular matrix (ECM). I worked on testing available ECM substitute, Culture X and Decellularized lung tissue, for Matrigel, the pure basement membranes. For the 3D culture method of creating lung organoids, I grew triculture cell aggregates in soluble ECM.

Siao Tong "Marina" Jhu

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University - Idaho

Faculty Advisor: Professor Harrison

Research: This summer I worked on improving water treatment development in the Harrison lab. Wastewater produces toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, so I used zeolite and metal to absorb hydrogen sulfide as much as possible via analyzing the production of sulfur from a well combination of nickel (metal) and zeolites.

Nhat Minh Tu Nguyen

Undergraduate Institution: Missouri State

Faculty Advisor: Professor J Hansen

Research: This summer, I modeled the use of broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy in the Hansen lab to determine whether it is possible to detect HO2 radicals. The first kinetic simulation I built in Python showed the implausibility of HO2 detection from the conversion of HO2 to ClO. We are now building a second simulation to test the plausibility of converting HO2 to NO2 for HO2 detection. I have learned to calibrate inexpensive particle sizers against well-established instruments such as a TEOM and an optical particle sizer.

Joshua Jackson

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Faculty Advisor: Professor Andersen

Research:

2021 Co-hort

Lucas Eggers

Undergraduate Institution: Dominican University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Christensen

Research: This Summer, I worked with the parasite attributed to African Sleeping Sickness, Trypanosoma Brucei. The parasite exists in two forms, one while living in the fly that transmits it's stomach and one while in the bloodstream of its host. My project focused on understanding the bloodstream form's ability to regulate the pH level of its glycolytic organelle, the glycosome.

Marcus Hayden

Undergraduate Institution: Utah State University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Savage

Research: I built glycan antigens for vaccines of S. pneumoniae. I synthesized and purified various sugar intermediates for glycan antigens in a certain S. pneumoniae serotype. Glycan antigen synthesis allows for more prevention of infectious disease.

Hanbin Kim

Undergraduate Institution: BYU - Hawaii

Faculty Advisor: Professor Michaelis

Research:

Heitor Nagliati

Undergraduate Institution: BYU-Idaho

Faculty Advisor: Professor Woolley

Research: This summer I worked with a team developing a device that can run a test capable of determining to which antibiotics a specific bacterium is or isn’t resistant too. We used microfluidics to incubate bacteria in droplets inside micro channels in a PDMS chip. This method does not require an amplification step which makes it a lot faster than current methods. This test could aid physicians in getting a more efficient treatment quickly for patients with sepsis.

Josh Pinder

Undergraduate Institution: BYU-Idaho

Faculty Advisor: Professor Woolley

Research: My time was spent developing a diagnostic tool capable of identifying nine biomarkers in maternal serum in order to identify levels of preterm birth risk. The microfluidic chips were 3D printed and electrophoresis was used to separate and identify the biomarkers.

Ximena Sanchez Avila

Undergraduate Institution: BYU-Idaho

Faculty Advisor: Professor Kelly

Research: During the summer, I worked in Dr. Kelly’s lab doing nanoscale proteomics on human skin tissues. I processed the samples and analyzed the data from the MS to know the main proteome implications of aging. The results will be used to develop skincare products.

2019 Co-hort

Liahona Angelie

Undergraduate Institution: BYU-Hawaii

Faculty Advisor: Professor Andruss

Research: We worked on synthesizing chiral auxiliaries from L-phenylalanine for Intramolecular Styryl Diels Alder (ISDA) reactions.

Rebecca Burlett

Undergraduate Institution: Southern Virginia University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Price (JC)

Research: This past summer I worked in the JC Price lab on method development of muscle proteomics. I worked on creating and updating protocols for sample pulverization and preparation for the mass spectrometer. I then analyzed the data collected for protein turnover rates and concentrations of the muscles.

Paul Roberts

Undergraduate Institution: Utah State University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Paxton

Research: This summer I worked on making hybrid polymer vesicles for use as micro-sized drug delivery vehicles. Once vesicles were created, worked to make them pH responsive to ensure they deliver their cargo under desired pH environments. This allows for greater specificity when delivering therapeutics such as chemo therapies.

Maliea Holden

Undergraduate Institution: Dixie State University

Faculty Advisor: Professor Hansen

Research: My summer research centered on improving the conversion of biomass into biofuels by method of anaerobic digestion.

Sara

Aimee

Paul