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BTEC student researchers participate in annual symposium

Published July 31, 2023

Five undergraduate students who conducted research at BTEC this summer recently participated in the university’s annual Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium. The symposium, which is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, was held Thursday, July 27 at D.H. Hill Jr. Library. Several hundred undergraduate students presented posters about their summer research projects during the event, including the BTEC interns, whose projects are described below. All five of the interns are chemical engineering majors with a concentration in biomanufacturing sciences. The students, who are either juniors or seniors, also are pursuing the BTEC minor in biomanufacturing.

Ian Dudley presented his work developing a highly specific and sensitive mass spectrometry method for efficient quantification and characterization of a model therapeutic protein. Mentored by Cyndell Gracieux-Singleton, manager of BTEC’s Analytical group, and Greg Buhrman, a scientist in the Analytical lab, Dudley established optimal protein digest conditions, the crucial first step in developing a powerful and streamlined multiple-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) analytical method. His poster was titled Developing an MRM-MS Assay for GFPuv Quantitation in GFP-producing E. coli Cell Lysate.

Cristina Martinez-Mata spent her summer in the downstream bioprocessing area, comparing various chromatographic methods to purify plasmid DNA, an essential tool in in gene therapy, vaccine development, protein production, and other areas. Under the mentorship of Jennifer Pancorbo, director of Industry Programs at BTEC, and Arjun Shastry, a scientist in BTEC’s Bioprocess Services program, Martinez-Mata compared the efficiency of circular and linear plasmid purification between two types of anion exchange media. Her poster title was Comparing the Performance of a NatriFlo HD-Q Membrane and a HiTrap CaptoQ Resin Column for Plasmid Purification.

Joe Murray’s summer research project with Ryan Barton, BTEC’s manager of Bioprocess Automation, involved rewiring and tuning temperature and pressure sensors across BTEC’s 30 L and 300 L bioreactors. At intermediate scale (30 L), Murray established tighter temperature control such that the degree of overshoot above the set point was reduced threefold. His poster was titled Improving the Performance and Reliability of Large and Intermediate Scale Bioreactors.

The project conducted by Mark Yim and Paige Siggins focused on stem cell research. They extracted and characterized the extracellular vesicles of trophoblast stem cells, which have potential applications in regenerative medicine. Under the guidance of Bala Rao, BTEC’s director of Academic Programs, Yim and Siggins used dynamic light scattering to show their extraction method yielded particles in the size range of extracellular vesicles. Their poster was titled Extraction and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles from Trophoblast Stem Cell.

Each semester, BTEC’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program pairs student researchers with BTEC faculty and staff, offering students unparalleled hands-on access to BTEC’s state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facilities. Over the 2022–23 academic year, BTEC hosted 25 undergraduate researchers from NC State’s College of Engineering, which funds the program. The REU program provides students with research opportunities to better prepare them for internships, jobs, and/or graduate school. Part of BTEC’s strategic goal of educating NC State undergraduates in biomanufacturing, the REU program helps attract students to and retain them in science and engineering and broadens participation among a diverse student talent pool. Learn more about BTEC’s REU program.