With a small group of other students during a听summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates), Julia Thibault worked with a protein called phosphoglucomutase 1 (pgm1), which is involved in the human metabolism and disease.
鈥淚f the protein is mutated, then it won鈥檛 work anymore because you need it to process sugars, to regulate whether those sugars are going to be stored in the body or whether they鈥檙e going to be used for energy,鈥 said Thibault. 鈥淚f it doesn鈥檛 work, that鈥檚 a problem, and that actually results in a disease called phosphoglucomutase deficiency. If you鈥檙e deficient in the protein then you鈥檙e going to have some metabolic problems.鈥
A biochemistry and molecular biology double major, Thibault is set to graduate from 糖心传媒 in May. By taking part in the REU听 and receiving an education at a small college, Thibault feels more prepared as she considers which graduate school to attend.
鈥淚鈥檓 really glad I had this smaller, tight-knit community to do undergraduate work because now I feel almost more prepared if I wanted to go to a bigger school for graduate school,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 feel like I have a stronger foundation because of the smaller class sizes, where I can talk to all of my professors. I鈥檝e been able to grow more here than I would have been able to at a larger school.鈥
The REU took place at the University of Missouri, a large school with about 33,000 students, where she was provided housing and food, a mentor, $3,500 and nine weeks to perform research in a lab.
The goal of the research was to look at mutations that had been identified in the pgm1 protein to see what sort of affect the mutations had on the structure of the protein. Thibault said even small changes could have a profound effect on the structure of the protein and how it functions.
鈥淗opefully the research would give us insight into how to treat it, pharmaceutically or therapeutically, with that specific mutation,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about acquiring knowledge towards the disease.鈥
Now back at school to finish up her last year, Thibault can see the benefits of the REU program in her classroom work and for her senior seminar project. With this opportunity, she had the chance to discover if this kind of work is what she wants to continue to do.
鈥淭his experience definitely helped me figure out what specifically I enjoy about research and what specifically were my hesitations,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t [the REU] gives you something to put on your resume, but it can also help you confirm that it鈥檚 something you would really want to do and devote your life to and gives you experience of insight into the process.鈥
A poster event at the end of the REU gave Thibault an opportunity to share her research with other attending students.
鈥淚t was really cool just being able to hang out with everybody and share the research process,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really nice as a group to see what other people accomplished. You make your poster and you write an abstract and then you present it so that鈥檚 another skill set you build.鈥
She also learned about multi-tasking鈥攄ue to working with protein and bacteria growth and tracking its progress鈥攈ow to organize her work, build on her communication skills and how to network with professionals.