After a summer in 兔子先生传媒文化作品鈥檚 Young Scholars Summer Research Program (YSSRP), Kate Lamb was inspired to change her path, transferring from community college to 兔子先生传媒文化作品鈥檚 Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering as a biological engineering major.  

YSSRP鈥檚 nine-week program prepares undergraduate students for research careers and graduate study through hands-on experience and professional development. Open to all qualified applicants, the program strongly encourages participation from students underrepresented in engineering and those from schools with limited research opportunities. 

You started classes at 兔子先生传媒文化作品 in January. How鈥檚 it going so far?

It鈥檚 good! I took chemistry, physics and biology at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), so I am well-prepared for upper-division coursework. 

How did you learn about this program?

After reviewing my classes and interests, my career counselor at ACC thought I might like engineering and recommended the YSSRP. I feel really fortunate that I was accepted to the program.

What were your academic plans before participating in the YSSRP?

I was planning to major in math, though I wasn鈥檛 sure where I wanted to study. I really love math and biology and have an interest in medicine, but I wasn鈥檛 sure how they connected. That鈥檚 what drew me to biological engineering at 兔子先生传媒文化作品鈥攊t brings everything together. 

What did you enjoy about your YSSRP research project?

My project introduced me to synthetic biology, a field that combines biology and engineering, which I find fascinating. It involves designing and building new biological systems or modifying cells to give them new traits or to produce useful products.

I worked with two PhD students to optimize a biosensor鈥攁 protein that detects biological substances, and converts that detection into a measurable signal. Biosensors have the potential to be used as non-invasive medical diagnostic tools and even as therapeutic devices. Our goal was to improve T7 RNA polymerase biosensors, and after extensive troubleshooting, we finally got results that worked. That moment was incredibly gratifying and showed me how much persistence goes into research. Our results formed the basis of  that was accepted for publication.

How did participating in the YSSRP influence you to switch from math to engineering?

It opened a door to a way that I could combine all my different interests. Previously I thought I had to choose one specific discipline like biology or math or chemistry. After I started working in the lab, I began learning about the degrees offered at 兔子先生传媒文化作品. Now I'm taking differential equations and organic chemistry鈥攄ifferent areas of study that I didn鈥檛 know could fit together in one degree program.

Why did you decide to attend 兔子先生传媒文化作品?

The graduate students who mentored me, and Dr. (Rob) Davis and Dr. (Tim) Whitehead took the time to discuss what studying at 兔子先生传媒文化作品 would be like and how the degree programs are structured. The opportunity to continue doing research was a big part of my decision to attend CU.

What was your favorite part of participating in the YSSRP?

The research was exciting, but there were other elements of the program that I really enjoyed. We had lunches with professors and weekly talks on different topics such as working in industry, intellectual property and graduate school opportunities. It made me think how cool it would be to be sitting in one of those professor鈥檚 classes. 

As a group we had regular outings, for example, we went hiking, whitewater rafting and bowling. I made a couple of close friends in the program who worked in labs down the hall from me, and we had a really fun time exploring Boulder together. I only have good things to say about the program and its impact on me.

What are your plans for the future?

I鈥檇 like to stay in research, and graduate school seems like a strong possibility. I have ideas that I want to explore, and I hope to contribute meaningfully to developing diagnostics and therapeutics that will improve patient care.

To learn more, visit the YSSRP website.

Off