Summer of Science: RNA Institute Hosts First Cohort of ‘Research Experiences for Undergraduates’ Students

By Erin Frick 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 15, 2023) — This summer, 12 undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the U.S. partnered with scientists at the University at Albany’s RNA Institute to undertake hands-on research projects as part of the RNA Institute’s inaugural Research Experiences for Undergraduates in RNA (REU in RNA) program.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, UAlbany’s REU program is focused on scientific discovery in and around ribonucleic acid (RNA) science and RNA-based technologies. The program aims to engage student researchers from backgrounds that have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields. Of the dozen participating students, 10 were funded by the NSF grant; two were supported by existing grants held by their host labs. 

Over the course of the 10-week residential program, students hailing from New York, Texas, Arizona, California and Puerto Rico worked alongside UAlbany faculty mentors to undertake original research projects exploring a wide range of topics such as myotonic dystrophy, salivary gland fibrosis, Zika virus and the chemical profile of earwax. The students presented their project findings to members of the UAlbany community during the Institute’s “RNA Day” celebration and poster session on Aug. 1.

“Being able to have the opportunity to participate in a research program that highlights diversity and inclusion is so important to me and I’m grateful to have been selected to be a part of it,” said Camryn Beckles, a rising senior and chemistry major at UAlbany who works with Senior Research Scientist Ken Halvorsen. “I learned that research takes time and to be patient with the results I get because it won't always be perfect and not to let it get to me. For the future, I plan to look at research in a different way and I now have an open mind to look more into different topics and areas of research since it's so important to be open-minded in this field.”

Beckles started working on the project that she advanced this summer during the spring 2023 semester and plans to continue the work this fall.

“I'm thankful that all the techniques I've been learning will help with the classes I'm going to take next semester: cellular biology and virology,” Beckles said. “The lab work in this project really made me learn all the terms and the processes, so when I go to the class, I'm going to ace it.”

Beyond the Lab

In addition to their projects, the students participated in a series of seminars focused on research skills and career development, as well as social programming. Activities included mentoring lunches with UAlbany faculty, a panel discussion around STEM careers and guidance on preparing for interviews and crafting a professional CV — both for grad school applications as well as jobs in academia or industry. The students also took in a presentation about the importance of science communication and best practices for sharing their science and a discussion on cultural responsiveness in research relationships.

During a field trip to Six Flags Great Adventure for “STEM in the Park,” the REUs explored applications of STEM in an amusement park setting.

Reflecting on Research

“The REU program at UAlbany was an amazing experience,” said Duong (David) Phuc, who is majoring in biology at Jamestown Community College and worked with Professor of Biological Sciences Melinda Larsen to explore salivary gland fibrosis. “I got to learn many lab skills, of which my favorite are immunohistochemistry staining and cell cultures. I have no doubt that this experience will have profound effects on my research interests in the future.”

Mireylin Cordones, a biology major at The College of Saint Rose, worked with Senior Research Scientist Arun Chandrasekaran to study DNA nanostructures built using barium. “The most valuable lesson I learned is that science isn't perfect; it is full of mistakes and struggles,” Cordones said. “But at the end, it is all worth it to find answers to our questions.”

“During this summer, I learned that you don’t need to follow a direct path in life,” said Carolina Saldivar, a forensic science major at St. Mary’s University, who worked with Professor Rabi Musah in the Department of Chemistry to study differences in the chemical composition of earwax among genders and races. “The RNA research taught me that we can do anything we put our minds to. I got amazing friends and mentor from this opportunity.”