A Summer of Protein Expression and Purification

Categories

Biochemistry | Chemistry | Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences | Honors Research | Research

Author: Marin O’Neal | Major: Chemistry- Biochemistry | Semester: Summer 2025

A Summer of Protein Expression and Purification My name is Marin O’Neal, and I am a rising senior in the Fulbright School of Arts and Sciences pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. During the summer of 2025, I worked with Dr. Paul Adams of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department in his research lab. I plan on continuing to work in his lab during the fall of 2025. This summer, my project focused on expression and purification of a biologically active derivative of a protein activated kinase, referred to as PBD46. It is an essential protein that functions to activate other proteins that signal a cell to grow and divide. When its mutations occur, this process of growth and division accelerate out of control, leading to the spread of cancerous cells and tumor growth. Studying this protein’s binding activities can help us find ways to stop this cycle and inhibit the progression of a variety of cancers. I chose this topic because I began studying this protein when I first joined the lab. The graduate students in my lab provided me with the name of the protein and provided some brief details into where I could find more information about it. Since then, I have looked into the other proteins involved in the activation pathway of PBD46, and I hope to work with my graduate students on future experiments using the protein I was able to isolate this summer. One challenge I experienced was how time-consuming the work is and how careful you must be in handling the proteins. Because the yield of protein at the end of the purification is so small, you must be very careful to maintain the stability of the sample so that it is viable in future experiments. The work also takes a lot of time as sometimes experiments need to be started overnight and worked on throughout the day. This also requires a lot of planning and preparation with the graduate students and their schedules. However, I am very grateful for the time and patience of my graduate students as they have taught me so much. I have had a great experience working with Dr. Adams throughout this past year, as he has been very flexible and understanding of my time commitments. He also provides encouragement and guidance while challenging me to think critically about my work. My research accomplishments would not have been possible without the continuous support of my graduate students and Dr. Adams. In July, I had the opportunity to travel to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock to attend their annual Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium. It was such a fun and interesting experience learning about other students’ research, and there were quite a few students who attend the University of Arkansas presenting as well. With some graduate school faculty in attendance, I learned about possible research opportunities beyond graduation. It was a great experience to see some familiar faces and talk about my future in science. Next semester, I will be continuing my work in the Adams Lab and beginning writing my thesis. I am looking forward to continuing my project and having more to share about my experience in research.
My name is Marin O’Neal, and I am a rising senior in the Fulbright School of Arts and Sciences pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. During the summer of 2025, I worked with Dr. Paul Adams of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department in his research lab. I plan on continuing to work in his lab during the fall of 2025.

This summer, my project focused on expression and purification of a biologically active derivative of a protein activated kinase, referred to as PBD46. It is an essential protein that functions to activate other proteins that signal a cell to grow and divide. When its mutations occur, this process of growth and division accelerate out of control, leading to the spread of cancerous cells and tumor growth. Studying this protein’s binding activities can help us find ways to stop this cycle and inhibit the progression of a variety of cancers.

I chose this topic because I began studying this protein when I first joined the lab. The graduate students in my lab provided me with the name of the protein and provided some brief details into where I could find more information about it. Since then, I have looked into the other proteins involved in the activation pathway of PBD46, and I hope to work with my graduate students on future experiments using the protein I was able to isolate this summer.

One challenge I experienced was how time-consuming the work is and how careful you must be in handling the proteins. Because the yield of protein at the end of the purification is so small, you must be very careful to maintain the stability of the sample so that it is viable in future experiments. The work also takes a lot of time as sometimes experiments need to be started overnight and worked on throughout the day. This also requires a lot of planning and preparation with the graduate students and their schedules. However, I am very grateful for the time and patience of my graduate students as they have taught me so much.

I have had a great experience working with Dr. Adams throughout this past year, as he has been very flexible and understanding of my time commitments. He also provides encouragement and guidance while challenging me to think critically about my work. My research accomplishments would not have been possible without the continuous support of my graduate students and Dr. Adams.

In July, I had the opportunity to travel to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock to attend their annual Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium. It was such a fun and interesting experience learning about other students’ research, and there were quite a few students who attend the University of Arkansas presenting as well. With some graduate school faculty in attendance, I learned about possible research opportunities beyond graduation. It was a great experience to see some familiar faces and talk about my future in science.

Next semester, I will be continuing my work in the Adams Lab and beginning writing my thesis. I am looking forward to continuing my project and having more to share about my experience in research.