CU students undertake research projects thanks to OK-INBRE

Six Cameron University students spent a good part of their summer break participating in research projects funded by the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), a federally funded grant program that originates from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Chemistry majors Leilani Hunter, Bianca Karnes and Jacob Thorne as well as biology majors Solomon Meraz, Lorena Ponce de Leon Nieves and Molly Potts conducted their research on the CU campus before attending the INBRE Research Symposium to present their findings in late July.

After presenting her research, Hunter was award first-place in the Chemistry Group for the presentation of her project, "Unveiling Bioactive Phenolics: Identifying Key Compounds in Herbal Tea Samples." Identifying new bioactive compounds in herbal teas could lead to the development of novel, natural therapies for various diseases, positioning herbal teas as a valuable resource in the search for future pharmaceuticals. Hunter's research aims to advance the understanding of how natural products can be harnessed for drug development and human health enhancement.

Thorne's research project, "Unlocking Nature's Secrets: Method Development and LC-MS Troubleshooting for Discovering Bioactive Compounds in Herbal Plants," This study highlights the development and troubleshooting of an LC-MS method for bioactive compound discovery in herbal plants and shares the same goal as Hunter's project.

Chemistry majors Hunter and Thorne were mentored by Dr. K.D. Priyasantha, an instructor in CU's Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering.

Meraz, a biology major, was mentored by Dr. Ann Nalley, professor. For his project, "Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling of Imidazoles to Investigate Structural Activity Relationships," Meraz synthesized a series of imidazole compounds that have potential to act as bactericides and fungicides. He used a computer molecular modeling program to determine how these compounds might interact with enzyme proteins. Furthering this research could lead to the discovery of new, effective medications without excessive waste.

"Crosslinking Transmembrane Helices in Subunit a," the project undertaken by Karnes, a chemistry major, focused on F1FO ATP Synthase, an enzyme complex found in most living organisms. This project showed preliminary results that an important gating mechanism may control a significant portion of the enzyme's function. Since F1FO ATP Synthase is necessary for most living organisms, gaining insight into how it functions can lead future investigators to target pathogens to develop treatments. Karnes was mentored by Dr. Kyle Moore, associate professor and chair, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering.

Ponce de Leon Nieves and Potts, both biology majors, were mentored by Dr. Justin Nash, an assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences. Ponce de Leon Nieves' "A Quantitative Analysis of Microwave-Assisted Plant Extracts as Adjuvant MDR Therapies" and Potts' "A Quantitative Analysis of Common Garden Plant Extracts as Adjuvant MDR Therapies" shared a common focus: finding alternative treatments to combat multi-drug resistant bacterial infections using whole plant extracts. Each tested the antibiotic ability of common garden plants and herbs, finding that rosemary, basil, and spearmint extracts could reduce growth of drug-resistant bacteria. This research is an important step toward combating multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, which cause increased morbidity and mortality in the population and costs billions in healthcare expenditures annually.

INBRE promotes the development, coordination, and sharing of research resources and expertise that will expand research opportunities and increase the number of competitive investigators. OK INBRE's core mission is to encourage undergraduate students to pursue a biomedical science career by providing research opportunities, mentoring workshops and workforce development.

OK-INBRE aims to prepare and encourage undergraduate students to pursue careers in biomedical research or health related sciences by introducing students to intensive, hands-on research experiences in an experienced biomedical research lab. Faculty mentors, graduate students and laboratory technicians work closely with the undergraduate students, teaching methods and techniques while allowing each student to assume responsibility for the project.

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