The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program or UROP creates partnerships between students and Michigan faculty, providing a wealth of research opportunities from which you can choose and through which you can advance. MNIMBS sponsors a few students each semester. If you like to do a project with a MNIMBS faculty, go to the UROP web site to find a project.
Recent UROP students
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Phillip D. Smith
Email address: smitphil@umich.edu
Class of 2015.
Major: Chemical Engineering
Post-college goals: I plan to obtain higher education at either graduate or medical school.
Mentor: Dr. Seok Ki Choi, Research Assistant Professor
Research title for UROP project:
Drug release mechanism in nanotargeted delivery of anticancer drug
Objectives:
1. Successfully synthesize gold nanoparticles.
2. Attach anticancer drug molecules to the gold nanoparticles.
3. Develop a light-based mechanism to release the drug molecules from the gold nanoparticles. |
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James Otis
Class of 2015
Biochemistry/German
I want to pursue a degree in pharmacology.
Mentors: Dr. Thommey Thomas, Associate Research Scientist and Dr. Seok Ki Choi, Research Assistant Professor
Research title for the UROP project:
Dendrimer Based Targeted Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer Through EGFRs
Objectives: To learn how to perform research and to learn what kind of research, if any at all, that I like. |
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Justin Ezekiel Silpe
Class of 2012
Major: Individual Concentration Program: Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
College of Literature, Science and the Arts
Mentor: Seok Ki Choi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS
Research title for the UROP project:
Mechanism of drug release in nano-targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics
The Objectives of the project:
Our research focuses on the understanding of photon-based drug release mechanism in nano-targeted drug delivery in which anticancer drugs are freed from its linker by irradiation of UV light.
We are investigating to determine if the linker cleavage is affected by light wavelength and pH of the medium.
What the students will learn from the experience as a UROP student: Students will have opportunities for engaging in research in the field of biologic nanotechnology. Students will be trained to acquire skills in analytical chemistry for small molecules and dendrimer nanoparticles, as well as to advance their understanding and knowledge in the nanomedicine field. |
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Ryan Elizabeth Moody
Class of 2014
Major: Chemical and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Seok Ki Choi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS
Research title for the UROP project:
Mechanism of drug release in nano-targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics |
The Objectives of the project:
Our research focuses on the understanding of photon-based drug release mechanism in nano-targeted drug delivery in which anticancer drugs are freed from its linker by irradiation of UV light. We are investigating to determine if the linker cleavage is affected by light wavelength and pH of the medium.
What the students will learn from the experience as a UROP student:
Students will have opportunities for engaging in research in the field of biologic nanotechnology. Students will be trained to acquire skills in analytical chemistry for small molecules and dendrimer nanoparticles, as well as to advance their understanding and knowledge in the nanomedicine field.
Monica Ramaswamy
Class of 2013
Major/minor: LSA neuroscience
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Su He Wang, MD, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS
Research title for UROP project:
Eliciting antitumor immunity of a novel HER2 vaccine
Objectives of the UROP experience:
Determination of immunogenecity of the HER2-NE vaccine in HER2 transgenic (Tg) mice.
Evaluation of HER2-NE vaccine in preventing tumor growth in HER2 Tg mice.
Catharine Robison
Major/minor: undeclared; freshman
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Jolanta Kukowska-Latallo, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS
Title: Efficacy of SN-38 drug in cancer cells in vitro.
Objective: Conjugation of anti-cancer drug SN-38 to dendrimer makes it soluble in aqueous solutions and in this form SN-38 becomes more efficacious than when delivered as a pro-drug Irinotecan hydrochloride, currently used in clinic.
Basics of cellular and cancer biology and basics of testing anti-cancer drugs in vitro.
Brian Wideman
Major/minor: Neuroscience (tentative)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Thomas P, Thomas, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS
Research title for UROP project:
Tumor cell targeting using amide-linked dendrimer-MTX nanoparticles
Objectives of the UROP experience: To gain hands-on experience of clinical research in the biomedical field.
On April 18, 2011, Brian won HONORABLE MENTION UnderGraduate student - UROP for his poster on his project, Tumor Cell Targeting Using Amide-linked Dendrimer-MTX Nanoparticles, at the Herbert D. Doan Nanotechnology Symposium.
Kali Johnson
Major/minor: Chemistry
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Baohua Huang, Ph.D., Research Investigator, MNIMBS
Research title for UROP project:
The development of a dendrimer platform for targeted drug delivery
Objectives of the UROP experience: To design and synthesis a dendrimer platform that can be conjugated to multifunctionalities through copper free click chemistry.
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Jeffrey J. Hanson
Fall 2009, Winter 2010
freshman UROP, Pre-Health Science and Pharmacy Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Seok Ki Choi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS |
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Manisha Verma
Fall 2009, Winter 2010
freshman UROP, Health Science Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Seok Ki Choi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS |
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Kenny Tang
Fall 2009, Winter 2010
freshman, Health science major, UROP, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mentor: Seok Ki Choi, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, MNIMBS |
These three students worked on Mechanism of drug release in nano-targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics.
Objectives
Design and evaluate novel linkers that can be cleaved by UV irradiation at longer wavelength (400-500 nm)
UROP students were:
1. introduced to the field of targeted delivery of NP therapeutics (concept)
2. got trained for UV/vis spectroscopy, and anal. HPLC (Mento will do all of synthetic works)
3. performed photocleavage experiments of linker-drugs (small molecules; not linked to dendrimer) with SKC
4. performed instrumental analytical works with mentor
5. analyzed kinetic data and cleavage efficiency
6. Were involved in preparing a manuscript at the end of school year (May, 2010)
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Ashley Gibbons
Fall 2009, Winter 2010
Sophomore UROP Biochemistry
Mentor: James R. Baker Jr., MD
Pascale Leroueil, PhD
Nick Mank, BS |
Ashley worked on Investigating immunogenicity of nanoemulsion-based vaccines.
Objectives
Investigating the immunogenicity of one of more vaccine-adjuvant systems developed within the lab.
Ashley learned standard immunology techniques such as ELISA assays, Western blots and silver stains. In addition, she learned cell culture techniques. These assays will help her and the biologists/immunologists within our lab determine if a particular vaccine formulation will be effective when administered in vivo.
On April 18, 2011, Ashley won FIRST Prize UnderGraduate student, for her poster
Nanoemulsion Based Adjuvant for Influenza Vaccine: Characterization of Humoral and Cell Mediated Immunity, presented at the Herbert D. Doan Nanotechnology Symposium.
On April 20th, Dr. Seok Ki Choi
was recognized at the UROP Research Sponsor Award Ceremony with the UROP Outstanding Research Mentor Award.
UROP Student Researcher, Monica Ramaswamy,
won the outstanding poster award at the UROP Spring Symposium: Eliciting Antitumor Immunity of a Novel HER2 Vaccine. Monica's Faculty Sponsor is Dr. Su He Wang, M.D., Ph.D. Spring 2011.
UROP Student Researcher, Elizabeth FISK,
won the outstanding poster award at the UROP Spring Symposium. Monica's Faculty Sponsor is Igor Belyakov, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Sci, Spring 2012.
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Dr. Dmitry Isakov, Elizabeth Fisk, Dr. Igor Belyakov and Nick Orr in the BSRB lab. |
On Monday, April 18, 2011, we held our Herbert D. Doan Nanotechnology Symposium. The Symposium was followed by a student Poster session. The following prizes were awarded:
Undergraduate Students:
Ashley Gibbons - FIRST PRIZE UnderGraduate student
MNIMBS
Nanoemulsion Based Adjuvant for Influenza Vaccine: Characterization of Humoral and Cell Mediated Immunity
Jeremy Gam - SECOND PRIZE UnderGraduate student
MNIMBS
Targeted Nanodendrimeric Anticancer Prodrug: Disulfide-linked Doxorubicin Conjugates as a Potential Therapeutic
Brian Wideman - HONORABLE MENTION UnderGraduate student - UROP
MNIMBS
Tumor Cell Targeting Using Amide-linked Dendrimer-MTX Nanoparticles
UROP students: you may also be interested in nanotechnology/nanoscience-specific summer program opportunities for undergrads:
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network hosts a research experience for Undergraduates
Undergraduate nanoscience research at Northwestern University
UW-Madison Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nanotechnology |
