Pancakes and Posters: 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research

This year’s Undergraduate Poster Session brought together members of the Chemistry Department, friends, and family in the Frick Chemistry Laboratory atrium to discuss the work accomplished by students involved in several nine-week Princeton University summer programs. 

Forty-two undergraduates presented their research, drawing from the pool of rising chemistry seniors, Princeton rising sophomores and rising juniors involved in the Leach Summer Scholars Program (LSSP), several Princeton students pursuing research through a variety of other support programs, and undergraduates from other U.S. institutions participating in the University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program for Diversity in Chemistry. 

As they discussed the work illustrated on the posters, the summer researchers and event guests participated in a pancake feast, which added a touch of festivity and conviviality to the gathering.

The students’ research touched on a wide range of topics from computational work in the Rabitz Lab in the chemistry department to neuroscience investigation in the Wang Lab in the molecular biology department and the Neuroscience Institute to copper nanowire development in the Koel Lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering. For many students, the summer experience offered an opportunity to “test drive” chemistry and chemistry-related fields as a possible major and to experience original research in a laboratory setting. For those considering advanced studies in science, the laboratory work also exposed them to the type of commitment and research environment involved in laboratory-based graduate work.

The following students presented their work:

Alan Chen – Princeton University – Scholes Lab

Preparation of Nanoparticles comprised of 1,2,4,5-Tetracyanobenzene and  Methylated Benzenes by the Reprecipitation Method

An Chu – Princeton University – Bocarsly Lab

Characterizing Redox Processes on Metal Electrodes under Acidic Conditions

Arman Odabas – Princeton University – Bocarsly Lab

Palladium-Cobalt Cyanogels for CO2 Capture and Selective Filtration

Ashley Wang – Princeton University – Muir Lab

Synthesis and Incorporation of Truncated Autoinducing Peptide on Surfaces to Inhibit Staphylococcus Aureus Virulence Pathway

Bennett McIntosh – Princeton University – Hecht Lab    

A Combinatorial Protein Library for Amyloid Assembly

Blake Feldman – Princeton University – Leach Summer Scholars Program

Acidic Conditions Yield Favorable Product Ratios for Mn Porphyrin Catalyzed Oxidation

Bruce Culbertson – Princeton University – Sorensen Lab

Modification of rhodium catalyzed C-H amination experimental procedure allows it to be reproduced in a teaching environment

Cathryn Jolley – Rutgers University – MacMillan Lab

Synthetic Efforts Ttowards the Synthesis of the Natural Product Idiospermuline

Cecily O’Leary – Princeton University – Carrow Lab

Oxidative C-H Alkenylation of α-olefins Accelerated by Alkene Tethered Sulfide Ancillary Ligands

A. Christopher Habermann – Princeton University – Myneni Lab

Mineral-DOM Reactions and Impact of these on Carbon Dynamics in Natural Systems

Christopher King – Physics, Princeton University – Rabitz Lab

Simulated Quantum Control of Multilevel Systems Using Shaped Ultrafast Laser Pulses

David Danielson – The University of New Mexico – Knowles Lab

Bond Weakening: Activation of Allylic C-H Bonds

Elizabeth Stanley – Princeton University – Hecht Lab

Using Phage Display to Discover Functions of De Novo Protein Libraries

Emily Adler – Princeton University – Ando Lab

Structural characterizations of proteins in an antibiotic biosynthesis pathway using small-angle X-ray scattering

Hanley Ong – Princeton University – Chirik Lab

Synthesis of Redox-Inactive Chelates through Ligand Cyclometalation: Facilitating Base Metal Catalysis?

Isao Anzai – Molecular Biology, Princeton University – Ando Lab

Creating a Whole Genome Knockout Library of a Novel Bacteria

Ivanny Jacombe Ottati – Millersville University – Doyle Lab

Copper-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Fluorination of Diazo Compounds

Jake Essman – Princeton University – Doyle Lab

Progress towards the Nickel-Catalyzed Iminium-Heck Reaction

Jeffrey Wu – Princeton University – MacMillan Lab

Coupling Reactions of Alkyl Halide Radicals via Photoredox Catalysis

Judson Ziegler – Princeton University – Bocarsly Lab

Deep Eutectic Solvents and the Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell

Kai Okada – Princeton University – MacMillan Lab

Designing a Radical-Proof Photocatalyst for Synergistic Catalysis

Kiwoon Baeg – Princeton University – Carrow Lab

Buchwald-HartwigCross-Coupling of Pentafluoroanilineand Aryl Chloride with Novel Tri-alkyl Phosphine Ligand

Leora Haber – Princeton University – Scholes Lab

An Investigation into the Energy Transer and Genetics of the Antenna Complexes of Cryptophytes

Logan Blaine – Princeton University – Semmelhack Lab

Sysnthesis of a Solvatochromic Fluorophore for Use in High Throughput Screening of Staphylococcus Aureus Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Madison Parry – Princeton University – Carrow Lab

Synthesis of a Chiral Ligand for Organometallic Catalysis of Polymers

Marissa Applegate – Princeton University – S.H.-Wang Lab

Mutagenesis of GCaMP Sped Decay Kinetics Ex Vivo

Marlon Simms – Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Carrow Lab

Radical Process: Decarboxylative Alkenylation of sp3 C-H Bonds with Aryl-Substituted Acrylic Acids

Melina Acevedo – Princeton University – Koel Lab

Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Copper Nanowires for Hydrogen Reduction and Oxidation in Alkaline Conditions

Menase Daemo – Jackson State University – MacMillan Lab

Decarboxylative Protein Functionalization via Photoredox Catalysis

Minhaz Mahbub – Princeton University – Doyle lab

Progress toward the total synthesis of (+)-lysergic acid

Prince Aidoo – Philander Smith College – Groves Lab

Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Porphyrazines

Rei Matsuura – Princeton University – Knowles Lab

Achieving Pyrroloindoline Motifs through PCET

Rodney Chen – Princeton University – Muir Lab

Peptide Cyclization by Orthogonal Split Intein Trans Splicing Reactions

Rhuomeng Zhang – Illinois Wesleyan University – Scholes Lab

Investigating Singlet Fission in a Model Covalently-Linked Dimer: Steady-State and Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of (F-TIBS-ADT)2

Saeed Naguib – Princeton University – Knowles Lab

Applying Photocatalysis to the Development of New Hydroaminations Reactions

Sean Treacy – Princeton University – Chirik Lab

Nickel Catalyzed Hydrofunctionalization of Olefins

Sylvia Hanna – Rowan University – H. Yang Lab

Selection of Signaling Aptamers for OxidatedProteins

Stephanie Ribet – Princeton University – Cava Lab

Electronic and magnetic properties of an oxyfluoride pyrochlore

Summer Ramsay-Burrough – Princeton University – Chirik Lab

Nickel Catalysis: [2+2] Cycloaddition and sp3 C-H Borylation

Thompson Zhuang – Princeton University – Groves Lab

Synthesis of Aliphatic and Benzylic Organic Isocyanates via Manganese Porphyrin-Catalyzed C-H Activation

Tom Colocci – Princeton University – Scholes Lab

Two’s Company, 1021’s a Crowd: Absorbance and Fluoresence in Macromolecularly Crowded Solutions