91¸£ÀûÉç

Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Chemistry

Blog Excerpt:ÌýThere is nothing quite like a summer research internship abroad in the lovely city of Regensburg, Germany…The laboratory I Ìýworked in was the Christine Ziegler Lab of Biophysics. This lab focuses mainly on the structural determination of membrane transport proteins using CryoEM technology. Because I had already done some research on structural biology in 91¸£ÀûÉç, I figured that I could apply skills I already knew to the new lab in Regensburg. This strategy worked out nicely for me as I was able to pick up new techniques fairly quickly, all whilst having the biochemistry background I needed. That being said, almost everyday I saw something new in the lab. This allowed me to expand my biochemistry knowledge further as I added new skills to my toolbox…This project dealt with the neural membrane transport protein GAT1. Some of the main topics that I worked on with this protein included immunostaining, radioactive uptake assays, cell culture transfection, protein purification, lipid reconstitution, and CryoEM imaging. My mentor for the project was PhD student, Laure G.M.. Laure was an amazing mentor—I simply cannot express how truly memorable she made the experience.

Read Victoria’s full post here.

Major: Biochemistry
Minor: MCDB

Blog Excerpt:ÌýThis last summer I had the honor of being selected for the CU/BioFrontiers Institute Undergraduate research program hosted by the University of Regensburg. I was given the opportunity to work in a research lab at the university while also having chances to visit amazing places throughout Europe…I was given the opportunity to work on a project in the lab of Wolfgang Seufert in the Genetik department at Uni Regensburg. I was advised by Sophia Pinz, a post doc in the lab. Our project was based around observing sections of the cell cycle in yeast. The team specifically hoped to characterize what happens when eukaryotic initiation factor 2 is removed from the equation. In order to do that research, we of course needed to have a method for inhibiting eIF2 production in the yeast. My job in the lab was mainly to perform a cloning project which created a yeast strain where the gene for eIF2 was hidden behind a human estrogen based regulator. Because estrogen is not present in yeast naturally, it is non-toxic, and has no off target effects on metabolism or cell function. I finished my time there just as I successfully finished the cloning project!

Read Keiran’s full post here.

Major: Biochemistry
Minors: German, Spanish

Blog Excerpt:ÌýThis past summer I spent three months in Regensburg, Germany participating in a research internship. I worked in the Jeschek lab as a research assistant and studied how to engineer Escherichia coliÌýto metabolically synthesize vanillin, the main compound in vanilla. The majority of my time in Regensburg was spent in the lab, learning about new laboratory techniques and work environments, but I was still able to spend a lot of time getting to know the city and the Bavarian region…Overall, I was able to really explore and learn about the Bavarian region and my lab mates taught me all about the culture of Bavaria by going to the Dult together and participating in lab barbecues over the summer. I loved my experience in Regensburg and learned a lot about the research I participated in, and about the city along with its most famous site, the beautiful cathedral.

Read Lauren’s full post here.

Major: MCDB, Certificate in Public Health

Blog Excerpt:ÌýThe University of Regensburg Undergraduate Research Program was an incredible experience that allowed me to experience new laboratory techniques, new cultures, and new perspectives on academia. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a research career…I got to work in a lab that was within the university hospital, so labs around me were also doing active diagnostic work as well as research. This opened my eyes to how the technology we develop in labs is used practically, and the impact that research can have on actual human health. Furthermore, the lab had a biosafety level III lab. While I could not work in it, my mentor still explained and answered my questions about the techniques and experimental procedures performed in there… My project focused on Influenza A, which is an area of interest to me (especially during this time, when avian influenza cases were surging worldwide). The lab worked on a range of viruses, from Ebola to SARS-CoV-2 to HPV, which allowed me to explore the field. It also made a point of including all levels of education (Bachelors, Masters, and PhD students) in the meetings… My time doing research at the University of Regensburg was something I will not soon forget. I am so grateful to the people I met and the experiences I had, and I hope that the next round of BioFrontiers scholars can experience the same!

Read Kate’s full post here.

Major: Biochemistry

Blog Excerpt:ÌýI performed scientific research at the laboratory of Xuedong Liu during my exchange semester at the University of Colorado, 91¸£ÀûÉç. My work focused on the enzyme Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) and its relevance for the PINK1-Parkin pathway. A malfunction within this pathway can cause diseases like Parkinson’s disease...As it is my dream to one day work in medically relevant research and help people with my research, it was a great pleasure for me to be able to work on such a medically relevant topic and greatly increase my knowledge about cell culture which will be essential for the work I plan to do in the future...I cherished the opportunity to use such a high-end microscopy tool like the Opera Phenix. I met a lot of interesting and inspiring people during my exchange semester at the 91¸£ÀûÉç...They showed me how much I value collaboration..., how beneficial a great work environment can be and how to make scientific research fun instead of only serious...Moving to a new country and starting research at a completely new facility definitely came with its challenges, but being able to face and overcome them myself increased my confidence in my own abilities...All in all, the exchange semester at the 91¸£ÀûÉç was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life and that I am very grateful for. I learned not only a lot about cell culture but also about myself, my values and the plans for my future.

Read Jakob's full post here.