Program involves undergraduates in real research projects

2013 Physical Chemistry Summer Research Program class

en undergraduate students from across the country gained a wealth of research experience at the University of Mississippi this summer, thanks to a new program funded by the National Science Foundation.

The Research Experience for Undergraduates, commonly referred to at Ole Miss as the Physical Chemistry Summer Research Program, recruited students who had completed at least their first year of college but had not yet graduated, then provided the young REU researchers with hands-on experience in a broad range of projects related primarily to chemistry.

“One goal of the program is to give a research experience to undergrads by involving them in real research projects,” said Robert Doerksen, an REU program participant and associate professor of medicinal chemistry. “By doing so, the students are able to test their abilities and expand their ideas of what further educational path to follow.”

Doerksen’s project focused on understanding and quantifying the interactions of small-molecule inhibitors with two protein kinases, which are attractive targets for drug design. Caleb Swain, a rising senior at  Georgia Southern University, and Laura Beth Jobe, a rising senior from Erskine College in South Carolina, helped Doerksen with the project.

“The interactions between a drug target (protein kinase), a potential drug ligand and water improve the binding affinity of the ligand for the protein kinase active site,” Jobe said. “When the ligand is bound to the active site of the protein kinase, the ability of the protein kinase to trigger activation of various cellular processes is inhibited. This blocking is desirable in the treatment of many diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder and certain types of cancer.”

The REU program also enables students to conduct meaningful research, Doerksen said.

“By having intelligent researchers contribute, we can help scientific progress,” he said. “It is important to have more students involved in scientific research to help them effectively decide upon a career path and ultimately to make them more effective citizens.”

Jobe said that her experience in the program solidified her decision to attend medical school.

“My goal of becoming a practicing physician and my interest in medical research has been enhanced through my participation in research at the University of Mississippi,” she said. “Conducting research during the summer afforded me not only an accelerated means of achieving my career goals by providing me with vital research connections and the discovery of my areas of interest but also an exciting opportunity to begin scientific discovery prior to medical school.”

At the end of the program, student researchers completed an analysis, report and presentation of their research. Doerksen said that a long-term goal is for their research to appear in an article in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. By doing this, he said, their research will contribute to the betterment of society.

“Based upon my experience in the chemistry and medicinal chemistry departments, I believe that the University of Mississippi fosters an authentic love of learning by pushing students to reach their fullest potential and cultivate resourcefulness and an excellent work ethic, while providing them with the support and encouragement they need to persevere in their tasks,” Jobe said.