Senior Delaney Lehman spent a summer finding a compound that could be synthesized to cure Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a mutation that causes severe handicaps, in her internship with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. To clarify: This research had nothing to do with sharks, French monarchs, or dental problems. The incurable disease, which affects...
Category: Science & Tech
Students work to understand arthropod protein’s function
Senior Micah Heinz knew little about the oxygen-transporting protein hemocyanin before last summer, so naturally, he researched it through the Hillsdale College LAUREATES program. “It wasn’t something I was familiar with before, but I’ve been interested in it ever since,” Heinz said. Hemocyanin is found in the blood of arthropod species such as horseshoe crabs...
Student builds molecular library of quinolines
Synthesizing a group of molecules and testing their biological applications can be difficult to accomplish in a six-week span, according to senior biochemistry major Katelyn Bercaw. To help future researchers, Bercaw spent part of her summer synthesizing several types of quinolines, a group of molecules known to have medicinal applications. The quinoline library she constructed...
Research suggests healthy humidity slows spread of flu
People rarely talk about low humidity as a contributing factor in the spread of influenza, but the low humidity levels in the U.S. this year may be one of the reasons for the tough flu season. Research over the past decade shows increased humidity can help prevent the spread of influenza. Assistant Professor of Biology...
Student research measures phosphate levels in local water
To measure very low levels of phosphate in water samples, sometimes researchers have to get creative. Senior biochemistry major Lauren Barlass spent her summer researching phosphate levels from locally obtained water samples, including the St. Joseph River and Baw Beese Lake. Most kits for testing phosphate rely on a visual scale, which is not...




