Post written by Dr. Joanna Kinsey
Four students won awards for their research at the 8th Annual ACS-New Haven Student Research Symposium held at Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Nicholas Taylor (Molecular and Cell Biology ’24) was awarded second place for graduate posters for his research on the expression and characterization of the copper oxidase enzyme in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Puneet Sidhu (Chemistry ’24), Athena Chirigos (Biochemistry ’24), and Isabelle Zimber (Chemistry ’24) won first, second, and third place, respectively, for their undergraduate research posters. Puneet Sidhu’s research aimed to express and purify the main protease of wild-type SARS CoV-2 for enzyme kinetic studies to study the efficacy of PaxlovidTM against COVID-19 mutations. Athena Chirigos’s research used fluorescent calcium sensors to investigate the effect of molecular crowding and cooperativity in proteins. Isabelle Zimber presented her work investigating seasonal differences in water quality and presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the Quinnipiac River. A total of ten Quinnipiac University students presented their research at this event.
