ISM Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Outreach

Professor Esther Braselmann of the ISM recently hosted a collaborator, Professor Aaron Van Dyke of Fairfield University, and undergraduate students from his lab.

One of the research focuses of the Van Dyke lab is the synthesis of fluorescent dyes that selectively bind and illuminate riboswitches in cells, work that is supported by the Braselmann lab and ISM resources. This summer, three undergraduate students from Fairfield were able to visit Georgetown and collect data that will benefit future syntheses.

In addition, the three students – Rianna Mann, Jenna Hanson, and Kiera Cunningham – received training on new lab equipment and processes, including transforming RNA, cell culture, laser safety, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Cunningham reports that “I was able to learn new lab techniques that I will be able to take with me for the rest of my career” and that she was able to “use equipment that I would otherwise not get the opportunity to work with”, in addition to appreciating the Georgetown campus and D.C. area.

Overall, this collaborative research effort was an exciting look into the future of the soft matter community.