University of Utah REU
BY ALEX GUZMAN
During the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to conduct organic chemistry research at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City through the university’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, REU programs at universities nationwide provide students with the resources to conduct cutting-edge research and attend professional and academic development events. Additionally, REU programs often organize social events aimed at fostering a fun and inclusive cohort. Most programs offer an attractive stipend and university housing for the 10-week research period, allowing REU participants to engage in their research and enjoy what the local region has to offer. I had been considering attending graduate school for chemistry since my sophomore year, but I was unsure whether it was the right fit for me. By conducting summer research at the University of Puget Sound in the laboratory of Professor Luc Boisvert, I became accustomed to how a research laboratory operates, and I gained a genuine interest in pursuing more research. Nevertheless, I still felt the need to immerse myself in a graduate research setting before I decided whether I would apply to graduate school. I found the opportunities provided by REU programs appealing because I could gain first-hand insight into the graduate research world. I learned more about the various REU programs by exploring the REU websites. To better refine my search, I specifically searched for programs at universities that have notable organic chemistry or sustainable chemistry research. Location was also a factor that helped me determine which programs to apply for. The University of Utah gave me the opportunity to explore the stunningly beautiful state and experience a region of the United States that was previously unfamiliar to me. The University of Utah is well known for its exceptional medical school and bioscience research. Consequently, there are many faculty members in the Department of Chemistry conducting interdisciplinary studies to solve some of the greatest challenges currently facing the medical field. Professor Andrew G. Roberts, my REU project advisor,
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investigates synthetic peptide chemistry with the aim of achieving more effective and far-reaching peptide-based therapeutics. Composed of amino acid monomers (single units), peptides are polymers, which can be thought of as a chain of amino acid constituents. Each amino acid monomer has the same general chemical structure that is shown in Scheme 1. The R group in Scheme 1 represents the amino acid side chain that varies for each amino acid and defines the particular amino acid. Scheme 1.
Peptides are fundamental to many biochemical systems and are most commonly known as the building blocks of proteins. Recently, there has been a greater interest in the medical and chemical fields to utilize peptides for their antiviral, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties (1). These therapeutic peptides are in the contemporary spotlight because they exhibit relatively low toxicity, and they bind more effectively to target proteins when compared to traditional small-molecule drugs. However, one of the great challenges for developing effective therapeutic peptide drugs is the susceptibility of peptides to metabolic degradation, which hinders the active lifespan of therapeutic peptides (2). Natural metabolic peptide degradation is carried out by proteins called proteases, which act like scissors that sever
