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James Williams<\/p>\n
This summer, James Williams, a class of 2028 Muhlenberg College\u00a0pre-health<\/a>\u00a0biology<\/a>\u00a0major from Yonkers, who\u2019s also a\u00a0student-athlete<\/a>\u00a0on the track and field team, is conducting summer research on campus. He is introducing stressors to a species of algae to see if it reacts similarly to or differently from how a terrestrial plant would react.<\/p>\n Q: Why did you decide to pursue\u00a0summer research<\/a>?<\/p>\n My research experience started when I was in high school. I did an ecology research program at the Bronx Zoo in my junior year going into my senior year. And I was really interested in learning more and just building my experience. I reached out to my professor [Assistant Professor of\u00a0Biochemistry<\/a>\u00a0Josephine LoRicco] in my sophomore year and I saw what their research was about and I told them I was really interested in what they\u2019re doing and I wanted to help them with their project.<\/p>\n Q: What does your project entail?<\/p>\n I read a few research papers, and I was able to make my own research plan on how I want to transform the algae and express certain things. So what I\u2019m doing in the lab personally is I\u2019m using a machine called electroporator, which basically shocks whatever I put into it with plasma DNA, and then it will transform that organism to express that gene. I\u2019m trying to transform this species of bacteria called agrobacterium. It\u2019s primarily found infecting terrestrial plants. I\u2019m using the electroporator to shock the bacteria so that it can express whatever genes that I decide to mix into it. And then I would use that agrobacterium to see if it infects the algae the same way as it does like a land plant.<\/p>\n Q: How have your Muhlenberg experiences helped you in this work?<\/p>\n A lot of the work that I\u2019ve done in the lab sections for my biology and chemistry classes, a lot of the techniques that I learned in those labs, I\u2019ve been able to apply to this research. I\u2019ve been able to apply that and then learn more from my professor, which should set me up for the next two years, especially because I\u2019m taking Organic Chemistry and different biology courses.<\/p>\n