The Dong Group and Friends

Author: Ethan Batey | Majors: Chemistry, Physics | Semester: Summer 2023

Hello everyone, my name is Ethan Batey, and I am a junior studying chemistry here at University of Arkansas – Fayetteville! My research focuses on the development of new methodologies to improve single particle tracking (SPT), single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), and other various spectromicroscopic techniques. SMLM has gained popularity in recent years for its benefits to biophysics, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials science, and cellular/molecular biology. Most studies in this field attempt to realize structural and functional features of various materials, organelles, and other features at the molecular level. These types of studies are useful for drug design, development, and delivery, targeted therapeutic research, molecular motors, fluorogenic reactions, two-dimensional and functional materials understanding/fabrication, and greater understanding of the nano world around us.

Recently, I attended the Gordon Research Conference on Chemical Imaging in Boston, MA to present my work on a new methodology we developed to conduct super resolution SMLM with a simple beam splitter and color filter. This trip to GRC was immensely helpful in furthering my research and my understanding of the field of study in this area. Attending this conference allowed me to listen to talks from world-renowned chemists, physicists, and engineers in all works of microscopy, spectroscopy, and other chemical imaging. This conference also allowed me to network with principal investigators I may be interested in working with during graduate school. My work received a great deal of positive feedback during the two presentations I conducted over the course of the six days of the conference. Most people were interested in SMLM because these methodologies have become incredibly popular in recent years! It was encouraging to hear my peers show appreciation for something I have worked so hard on. It was very motivating and pushed me to continue my work.

This conference has incredibly accelerated my professionalism in the field. Being a small niche conference, I learned plenty of conference and research etiquette in the field that may not be obvious to younger students. I gained a better understanding of how to approach principal investigators and exhibitors as well as how to conduct a beneficial debate on a variety of research topics. Presenting my work was an incredibly rewarding, satisfying experience and a great learning opportunity. It was wonderful to see my hard work pay off by introducing new ideas to leaders in my field.

For anyone looking to present their work at a conference, I would say it is most important to ensure you know everything there is to know about your project and project field. It is absolutely necessary to have a complete understanding of your experiments/analysis and be able to explain why you did exactly what you did to someone who may not be familiar with your work. This is such an important skill, not only at a conference, but as you continue to write, publish, and talk about your work on a day-to-day basis.

This conference has really accelerated my academic standing and allowed me to network with many great chemists and physicists. I will continue working on this project and I look forward to sending this manuscript to publication before the end of the year. I am incredibly thankful to Prof. Bin Dong and the rest of the Dong Group, as well as the Honors College for providing me with this opportunity.