2013 UCLA Amgen Scholar!

For the summer of 2013, I am spending ten weeks at UCLA conducting research under Dr. James Wohlschlegel in the Department of Biological Chemistry as a Amgen Scholar.  My project description (click on my name: Mr. Matthew McBride) is as follows:

Matthew's research at UCLA investigates the biological importance of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase KCTD7 in DNA replication, cell cycle progression, and Fe-S cluster biogenesis. KCTD7 has been identified by mass spectrometry as interacting with specific proteins known to be involved in these biological processes important for DNA maintenance and repair. The impairment of the function of these protein complexes identified as interacting with KCTD7 can result in the loss of DNA repair mechanisms leading to increased genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer. Little research has been conducted on the KCTD7 protein and the goal of this research is to validate these KCTD7 protein-protein interactions by transfection in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells followed by protein complex immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and western blotting. The function of KCTD7 will be examined by siRNA depletion experiments and it will be assessed how depletion of KCTD7 affects the stability, ubiquitination status, and biochemical function of the MCFB complex (Fe-S cluster biogenesis), DNA polymerase delta (DNA replication), and PLK1 (cell cycle progression). The hope is to elucidate the role of KCTD7 and gain insight into diseases involving KCTD7 defects. 

Champions of Change at the White House

In June, 2013, I was invited to visit the White House to recognize leaders in the field of "Open Science" for a Champions of Change event.  It was an exciting time of hearing from John P. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and scientific leaders on the role of providing open access to data and scientific findings.  I had the privilege of attending with my mentor, Dr. Jean-Claude Bradley, and co-presenting a poster entitled "Open Notebook Science: Applications for predicting melting points, solubility, and recommending recrystallization solvents."

Drexel Science Podcast

In May 2013, I was interviewed by Alex Spruck, a follow Drexel student, as apart of his senior project and was featured in the Drexel Science Podcast.  I talked a bit about the recrystallization app and the role of Open Notebook Science from an undergraduate student's perspective.  Check out the podcast here! 

Dr. Robert O. Hutchins Endowed Chemistry Prize

On May 23, 2013 at the 2013 College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) Honors Day where students college-wide were recognized for academic accomplishment, I was awarded the Dr. Robert O. Hutchins Endowed Chemistry Prize.  The prize description is as follows: This prize is funded by an endowment from alumni, Dr. Robert E. Zipkin and Dr. Ira M. Taffer, and Professor Robert Hutchins, who was a member of the Chemistry Department from 1968 to 2008 and mentored 16 Ph.D. students, 20 masters students, and 33 undergraduate students. Presented to a student majoring in chemistry and actively involved in a research project at Drexel University.

ACS Scholastic Achievement Award

On April 18, 2013, I received the ACS Philadelphia Section Scholastic Achievement Award at the April monthly meeting.  The award is described as follows: The Philadelphia Section, ACS, presents a Scholastic Achievement Award each year to the top-ranking senior majoring in chemistry or chemical engineering in each of the colleges and universities in the Section which has an ACS approved department or an ACS Student Affiliate Chapter. The awardees are chosen by the chemical or chemical engineering departments of their schools. Here is a picture of me (bottom left) with the other award winners:

CoAS Research Day 2013 and University Wide Research Day 2013

On April 9, 2013, I presented an oral presentation for College of Arts and Sciences Research Day 2013! The presentation was entitled "Using the Abraham Model to Predict Organic Solubility to Determine a Recrystallization Solvent." This presentation was given to members of the Drexel community and provides information on the research I have conducted with Dr. Jean-Claude Bradley.  Specifically, it touches on the use of a high boiling point solvent for performing recrystallizations.

On April 18, 2013, I also presented a poster with the same title at the Drexel University Research Day 2013.  It was exciting to see all the scientific investigation that is taking place among the students and faculty of Drexel!

National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) 2013

From January 24-26, 2013, I attended NCRC 2013 which is an undergraduate research conference held at Harvard University in Boston, MA hosted by the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association.  It was a weekend of listening to student presenters, meeting follow undergraduate scientists, gaining wisdom from leaders in different scientific disciplines and the sharing of my own individual research at a poster session.  I was able to attend with a few other students from Drexel!