UNews - Hans-Joachim Wieden

U of L forges partnership with the South Alberta Light Horse reserve unit

caroline.zentner — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 19:16:50 +0000

Being a master of science student in Dr. Trushar Patel’s (Chemistry & Biochemistry) lab at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge put Sergeant Michael D’Souza in the perfect position to create a new collaboration between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the Canadian Armed Forces.

D’Souza is a member of the Primary Reserves and part of South Alberta Light Horse (SALH), an armoured reconnaissance regiment tasked with the detection, identification and management of biochemical and nuclear weapon threats in conjunction with regular forces.

Members of the SALH surveyed areas for potential hazards during a recent training exercise.

At a recent training exercise at the Kipp Rifle Range, several U of L researchers and officials were invited to watch the troops as they surveyed potential areas of exposure to hazards like nerve and blister chemical agents, biological pathogens and nuclear contamination. The purpose of the training was to qualify soldiers on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense. Part of the exercise involved a test where soldiers worked with CS gas, a major component of tear gas.

“This training was designed to demonstrate the types of missions and challenges soldiers face in the field and how academic institutions can partner with Canadian Armed Forces units to target defense research to improve the conditions of operations and detection of hazards,” says D’Souza.

Discussions during the training exercise focused on creating research opportunities and support systems for students considering joining the Canadian Armed Forces or those who are already part of the reserves.

“Connecting with the SALH helps us understand the needs and requirements of the armed forces and that enables us to better serve them through education and training,” says Patel. “The U of L can link soldiers’ theoretical understanding of biological, chemical and nuclear threats to their tasks in hazardous environments.”

“This is an excellent opportunity for the U of L to develop research and training partnerships that will impact the armed forces through capacity development and training related to emerging biodefense threats,” added Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “In addition to enabling collaborative research projects and sharing of expertise, training partnerships like this are key to unlocking unique career paths, work-integrated learning opportunities and job placements.”

D’Souza, who joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2010 when he started his undergraduate studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, participated in the Paid Education Program, which financed his education. He also gained valuable experience.

“The Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserves is an exceptional career opportunity for students interested in connecting their education to either the civil service or the armed forces, while learning new skills,” says D’Souza. “With continuous employment and numerous funding opportunities, being part of the armed forces can take students places, even if they stay in for just their undergraduate program or many years after.”

Collaborations like that between the U of L and South Alberta Light Horse ultimately benefit students and give them skills that will serve them throughout their working lives.

“Experiential learning opportunities like these are essential for students, who benefit personally, professionally and academically, in the future,” says Kathleen Massey, associate vice-president (students). “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new Career Bridge: Centre for Work Integrated Learning and Career Development is the ideal place to help students make these important connections.”

Cuban PhD student finds Wieden lab a perfect fit for her antimicrobial resistance studies

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 21:44:41 +0000

The idea of coming to Canada to continue her studies had been established long before Cuban-born Amanda Vazquez Gonzalez began seeking scholarship support to do so. Actually embarking on the trip, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to take over the planet, nearly ended her dream.

Vazquez Gonzalez is at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge now, the recipient of a Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) International Peace Scholarship (IPS) that has allowed her to work towards her PhD in biomolecular science as part of Dr. H.J. Wieden’s Laboratory for Biomolecular Design and Engineering. The IPS fund is a program which provides scholarships for selected women from other countries to pursue graduate studies in Canada or the United States.

“I am excited to have such an outstanding student join the U of L and my research team,” says Wieden. “Amanda’s story is an excellent example of the barriers students face and that we have to help overcome to enable a diverse and inclusive community. It also demonstrates how critical scholarships are for this.”

Her four-year program began in the spring and was nearly derailed before she ever got started.

“I almost abandoned my plans,” says Vazquez Gonzalez, who had to endure a 40-day stay in Nicaragua en route to Canada from Cuba as she waited for her study permit to be approved. “The Canadian embassy was closed in Cuba, so I had to wait for my visa in Nicaragua. It’s a very violent country and I had to be very careful. There were some very hard times.”

A native of Havana, Vazquez Gonzalez comes from a family of high achievers. Both her parents are microbiologists and her 17-year-old younger sister is ticketed for medical school. Vazquez Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s in biochemistry and molecular biology, followed by a master’s in biochemistry from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Havana.

“I had the idea that once I finished my master’s, I wanted to study abroad. My mother really talked me into that because she had been to Canada several times for work. She talked about how good the education was, the laboratories, and the quality of science,” she says. “I was looking for someone doing work that was related to what I was doing when I found the HJ group. I was really motivated to see this new line of research they were developing.”

Vazquez Gonzalez is interested in a career in the pharmaceutical industry and has been engaged in studies on drug resistance.

“I’ve been working for three years on antimicrobial resistance. I was always curious about drug development and how they would just take the same drugs we always had, make some modifications but then after one or two years they are obsolete again,” she says.

The Wieden lab provides a framework for antimicrobial development by dissecting essential mechanisms for bacterial survival and virulence. Vazquez Gonzalez aims to identify potential drug targets by studying bacterial translational GTPases of unknown functions, which could open new avenues for developing antimicrobials with novel mechanisms of action.

Work in the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) is world renowned and Vazquez Gonzalez sought out the U of L lab by researching their work online. She is currently holding an NSERC CREATE Graduate Award for participating in the RNA Innovation program. Her only disappointment since coming to Canada is being shut out of the state-of-the-art Science Commons facilities within which she will conduct her research. Still, she hasn’t let it slow down her studies.

“These last three months, I’ve been mostly doing theoretical work and writing the first chapter of my thesis, which always takes a lot of time,” she says. “The group has been wonderful and really supportive. That’s something I really like about Canada, it has very good opportunities for people from developing countries, like myself, to study. That’s one thing that really helped me decide to come here.”

Grant to enable purchase of state-of-the-art biophysical research equipment

caroline.zentner — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 17:14:36 +0000

Thanks to funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, researchers will soon have access to a suite of equipment that will help them unravel the key communication events in biomolecules.

“The Biomolecular Characterization Suite or BCS will provide us with cutting-edge infrastructure needed for the quality control analysis of a variety of biomolecules and their complexes,” says Dr. Trushar Patel, a professor in the U of L’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “This is essential for the structural biophysical studies we conduct at the U of L.”

The BCS is comprised of four pieces of equipment that work together to give researchers information about the biomolecule’s size, shape, concentration and how they are bound together.

“As researchers, we need to make sure our molecules are really of good quality,” says Patel. “This cluster of instruments will give us the needed quality assurance of biomolecules and their complexes.”

The BCS will be useful to the U of L team of applicants from the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), including Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, who works with bacterial proteins for use in his research into antibiotic resistance; Dr. Ute Kothe, who works with yeast proteins; Dr. Tony Russell, who conducts research on the giardia parasite, and Dr. Borries Demeler, who works with biopolymers and nanoparticles.

“This equipment array could be used to make sure we have the right materials for research into drug use and understanding conformations when proteins are bound with nucleic acids,” says Patel. “For example, we need to determine high-resolution structures of proteins for target drug discovery and we can only determine the structures if we have the right quality of protein and this machine will tell us that.”

The addition of these instruments to the U of L’s existing infrastructure will not only attract scientists, but will provide students with valuable hands-on training opportunities.

“Students at the U of L can now get experience with the same biophysical infrastructure that’s available at other highly ranked universities,” Patel says. “Students will receive interdisciplinary training and access to sophisticated equipment that can help them secure high-value jobs in the future.”

The NSERC RTI program has provided $150,000 in support of the acquisition of BCS components.

U of L iGEM teams tackling relevant issues, awarded gold and silver at Giant Jamboree

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 21:13:23 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s iGEM students have proven once again they are among the best and brightest scientists in the synthetic biology field.

The U of L's collegiate iGEM representatives who presented in Boston.

From over 300 teams, representing countries from all over the world, the U of L’s collegiate team secured a gold medal and the high school entry a silver at the 2018 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in Boston, MA.

The collegiate team’s project VINCEnT focused on developing tools for other synthetic biology researchers. Targeting specific tissues, cell types, or cellular organelles is important for the correct treatment of many diseases. The U of L team created software that would help others overcome these problems. The team members also demonstrated how they can successfully encapsulate cargo within P22 “nanocompartments” that can target Zebra and Quagga mussels with species-specific toxins. One of the largest problems facing Alberta waterways, Zebra and Quagga mussels are considered aquatic invasive species and a threat to the Alberta economy, specifically agriculture, tourism and recreation as they destroy natural lake ecosystems and fisheries. Work on this application will continue in the future.

The U of L's high school team impressed with a silver medal standing.

The U of L team of Sydnee Calhoun, Kristi Turton, Catrione Lee and Luke Saville presented at the jamboree and were supported by team members Keith Aiken, Maya Degrood, Simmone D’Souza, Travis Haight, DJ Kim, Jessica Semmelrock, Reanna Takeyasu and David Tobin. Aubrey Demchuk, Graeme Glaister, Zak Stinson and secondary investigator Dr. Trushar Patel served as advisors.

The Lethbridge high school team is comprised of students from Winston Churchill High School, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Chinook High School and Catholic Central High School. Members Mark Lea, Michelle Wu and Andy Sun travelled to Boston to represent the team. Their project, Cu Later, described a method for the capture and removal of metals from tailings ponds and effluent water using an engineered bacteriophage system and received a silver medal and nomination for best model.

Dewuni De Silva, Aidan Sander, Nicolas Parra, Aroma Pageni, Rebecca Avileli, Tyler Black, Logan Black, Alice Zhang, Karen He, Mina Akbary-Zheng, Emily Huynh and Nimaya De Silva supported their teammates’ efforts from Lethbridge. Recruitment for the 2019 Lethbridge high school iGEM team will begin in January.

Representatives from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge were also involved in core activities for the iGEM Giant Jamboree. Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, also a primary investigator for the U of L collegiate team, was one of the competition judges, and Chris Isaac, U of L biochemistry graduate student, participated in the iGEM Safety Committee.

The projects and accomplishments of the university and high school teams are available on their wiki websites. Also, follow the high school team’s progress on social media: @LethHS_iGEM and @lethbridgehsiGEM. The U of L team can be followed here: @LethbridgeiGEM.

Chinook Symposium winners awarded

trevor.kenney — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 21:32:32 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 12th annual Chinook Symposium took place recently, showcasing research work from high school, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as special presentations from postdoctoral fellows and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Collegiate iGEM (international Genetic Engineering Machines) team.

The first Chinook Symposium was organized by Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, Dr. Marc Roussel and Susan Hill in 2007 and the event has grown dramatically over the years. This year, 46 posters were presented, compared to 22 posters at the inaugural event in 2007. The event has also grown to involve the community at large, inviting guest judges such as high school teachers, politicians and business leaders. This year, 2018 Alumnus of the Year, Bill Spenceley (BASc ‘’81) served in the role.

The event began in 2007 by awarding eight cash prizes to the top two graduate and undergraduate students each in biochemistry and chemistry. In 2012, a rookie award was added to recognize students presenting at a conference for the first time, and in 2013 a PhD division was added. Cash prizes are now awarded to the top two PhD presenters in biochemistry and in chemistry.

In 2017 and 2018, the Canadian Journal of Chemistry generously sponsored two Canadian Journal of Chemistry Awards for Best Student Presentation, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level. This brings the current count to 14 cash prizes as well as a certificate for top rookie presenter.

Winners of the 12th Chinook Symposium are:

Undergraduate

Chemistry
1. Jaira Ranger (Rookie of the Year)
2. Janelle Bykowski

Biochemistry
1. Hope Vienneau
2. Sydnee Calhoun

Graduate

Chemistry
1. Priya Bhutani
2. Desmond Chisholm

Biochemistry
1. Elijah Dueck
2. Colyn Cleland

PhD

Chemistry
1. Dylan Webb
2. Ryan Kung

Biochemistry
1. Taylor Sheahan
2. Dustin Smith

Canadian Journal of Chemistry Award for Best Student Presentation
Undergraduate - Jaira Ranger
Graduate - Elijah Dueck

U of L Board of Governors appoints five research chairs

caroline.zentner — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 20:01:34 +0000

Five new appointments as Board of Governors Research Chairs highlight the exceptional scholarly work of a diverse cadre of professors at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“I am pleased to announce these appointments as Board of Governors Research Chairs,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, vice-president (research). “Each one of these individuals is recognized as an outstanding scholar who has made an impact on his or her field of study. These high-profile academic appointments continue to play a vital role in helping us enhance our reputation and status amongst Canada’s most influential research institutions.”

Dr. Paul Hayes, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been appointed to a five-year term as a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair in Organometallic Chemistry. He is a leader in the field of synthetic inorganic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis, particularly in the development of new catalysts that generate green materials and those that provide insight into industrially relevant processes.

Also appointed at the Tier I level is Dr. Kevin McGeough (BA ’96), a professor of archaeology. He will be the Research Chair in Archaeological Theory and Reception for a five-year term. His specialty is the archaeology, history and languages of the ancient Near East and the reception of the ancient Near East in contemporary culture.

Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden has been appointed a Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair in Biomolecular Design and Function. A professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Wieden is the founding director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, home to the largest group of primarily RNA-focused research labs in Western Canada. His lab conducts a wide range of research, from rational design of biological nano-machines and over designing and reprogramming of genetic circuits to the development of novel antibiotics.

Dr. Fangfang Li, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, has received a four-year Tier II appointment as Research Chair in Child Language Acquisition. She specializes in first- and second-language acquisition, children’s speech and motor control development and examination of human speech using instruments.

Also appointed for a four-year term at the Tier II level is Dr. Aaron Taylor, an associate professor in the Department of New Media. He will be the Board of Governors Research Chair in Film and New Media. His research projects investigate the psychology of screen acting, comics and the superhero film and the cult reception of sentimental movies.

All terms begin on July 1, 2019.

Leading RNA researchers to convene at U of L for RiboWest Conference

trevor.kenney — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 15:49:02 +0000

Leading investigators in the field of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) research are gathering at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, June 5-8, 2016, to attend the 12th Annual RiboWest Conference.

“RNA is an important biomolecule that is implicated in many diseases ranging from infections, to cancer and inherited diseases,” explains Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, the director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI). “But RNA can also serve in the diagnosis and therapy of many diseases and as a tool in bioengineering of cells to generate novel compounds."

An artist's rendition of an RNA strand.

The RiboWest Conference is an annual meeting of RNA researchers from western Canada and beyond.

“This meeting is an excellent opportunity for networking, establishing new collaborations and having fun in sharing our enthusiasm for RNA,” says Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe, professor of chemistry & biochemistry at the U of L and a main conference organizer. “The focus this year will be on RNA and synthetic biology: new RNA technologies, as well as RNA in health & disease. We’re expecting over 80 attendees from 10 universities and five business enterprises.”

A pair of keynote speakers highlights this year’s conference, delivering talks that will be free and open to the public.

Dr. Adam Arkin, a professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California Berkeley and co-director of BIOFAB: International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology, will present on Monday, June 6 at 1:30 p.m. in PE275. His talk is titled, Discovery and Design of mRNA Determinants of Expression Control. Arkin was featured in Time Magazine as a future innovator.

Dr. Paul Lasko, a professor at McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and a founding member of the Developmental Biology Research Institute (DBRI), will present on Tuesday, June 7 at 2:20 p.m. in PE275. His presentation is titled, Translational Control in the
Drosophila Germ Line. Lasko won the Young Scientist Award of the Genetics Society of Canada in 1998 and its Award of Excellence in 2004.

Stephen Rader of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia organized the first RiboWest Conference in 2005. Since 2008, the U of L’s Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI) hosts the event every second year.

Summer time is research time for six local high school students

caroline.zentner — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 18:03:15 +0000

Summer time usually gives high school students a break from learning, but six local students have spent most of their summer getting educated about research instead.

The Heritage Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) program, funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (AIHS), gives students in Grade 11 the chance to spend six weeks participating in health-related scientific research labs and research centres at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Grace Forster, who will be entering Grade 12 at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in September, is one of six HYRS students at the U of L this summer. She applied to the HYRS program because she enjoys the sciences and thought the program would help her find out if she enjoys laboratory work and whether she wants to study science after high school.

She began working in Dr. Gerlinde Metz’s lab on July 8, analyzing data from a research study into the effects of travel stress on mice.

“We do a lot of stress research in the Metz lab. One of the things that isn’t typically controlled very well is shipment stress,” says Forster. “Almost every laboratory gets animals shipped because most don’t have the capacity to maintain breeding colonies that will be big enough. We’re essentially looking at how shipment stress affects basic motor function in adult mice.”

To gauge motor function, Forster took measurements of stride length, distance between the hind feet and rotation of the feet in a sample of travel-stressed mice. These measurements were compared to those gathered from a sample of mice bred in house. Forster spent the first three or four weeks completing the data set, which involved a lot of painstaking hand measurements.

“We found that the shipment-stressed animals had significantly shorter stride lengths, which indicates they would have less postural stability and slower walking speeds,” says Forster. “They would respond differently to the behaviour and motor tests.”

The results show that findings from research studies could be skewed if both in-house mice and shipment-stressed mice are used in the same project. Forster says the results point to a need to use only one kind of mouse in a research project to ensure consistency.

During the HYRS program, Forster helped out with a variety of other projects, too. She learned how to handle mice, weigh pups and mothers and measure their body circumference. In addition, the HYRS students took part in educational tours, attended brown bag lunches with panels and presentations, and heard from university professors and university students about their scientific careers.

“We had the opportunity to visit the gross anatomy lab in Calgary (the cadaver lab at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary medical school), which was very interesting,” she says. “That was one of the coolest experiences.”

The HYRS students also had some fun — Forster’s favourite activity was The Great Escape, a live-action, escape-the-room adventure.

She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the HYRS program to other high school students.

“I don’t think there’s anything else like this program that can give high school students the type of experience in the sciences that can make an impact on their university education or their careers,” she says.

Other HYRS students at the U of L include Eyram Asem, a Winston Churchill High School (WCHS) student, who worked in Dr. Robbin Gibb’s lab and Kai Bailey, from Chinook High School, who worked in Dr. Bryan Kolb’s lab. Kate Chua, from Catholic Central High School (CCHS), spent time in Dr. Robert Sutherland’s lab and Anileen Pageni, a WCHS student, worked in Dr. Ute Kothe’s lab. Daniel Rocca, a student from CCHS, worked in Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden’s lab.

U of L iGEM team earns gold in Boston competition

caroline.zentner — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:23:22 +0000

On the strength of a project that may one day lead to a new cell therapy to repair damaged neurons in the brain, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge iGEM (international genetically engineered machine) team was awarded a gold medal at the iGEM Giant Jamboree 2014 in Boston from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3.

Known as the Lethbridge Brainiacs, the iGEM team chose an ambitious project that involved using the brain’s own immune cells to facilitate recovery following a brain injury such as stroke.

The U of L iGEM team, sporting thier signature bow ties and suspenders, participated in the 10th annual Giant Jamboree in Boston at the end of October. Pictured here, from left to right, are Dennis Bettenson, Scott Wong, Zak Stinson, Aubrey Demchuk, Evan Caton, Suneet Kharey, Rhys Hakstol and Graeme Glaister. Missing from the photo are Dustin Smith, Kelsey O'Brien, Billy Cowitz, Rachael Chan and Harland Brandon.

“I was dumbfounded and exhilarated,” says Evan Caton, a doctoral student in biomolecular sciences. “This is my first year at iGEM and there were some other really amazing teams there. It was pretty awesome just to be in Boston and be rewarded for the work that we’ve done over the past year.”

“It was satisfying because we worked quite hard this summer and the gold medal is one of the higher standards of achievement at iGEM, so it’s nice to be recognized for that,” says Zak Stinson, a master’s student in neuroscience.

The team picked a neuroscience project that involves engineering immune cells to identify astrocytes (cells that play a role in the scarring process) and reprogram them to become normal neurons.

“When you have a stroke your neurons die and they don’t grow back. By this system, we would be able to replace those lost neurons and hopefully enhance functional recovery after a stroke and traumatic brain injury,” says Stinson. “We were able to take some pretty big steps towards getting this targeting and delivery system built. We weren’t able to test it fully because it was a really ambitious project for one summer, but we got quite a long ways towards showing that we could package these genes in these cells and send them over to astrocytes.”

The project involved inter-disciplinary collaboration. Individual members brought their respective expertise in biochemistry, biology, art and neuroscience to the team.

“The students are actually integrating expertise we have at the U of L into that design project. The students are the force that allows us to integrate existing strengths into a new application,” says Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a team supervisor and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Research Chair in Bioengineering in the chemistry and biochemistry department.

More than 220 teams from post-secondary institutions around the world participated in the 10th annual jamboree, with the U of L team being one of two from Alberta and one of 10 from Canada.

“Alberta has actually made up a large portion of the iGEM teams from Canada and they’ve done really well in the past because we have really good support from the provincial government,” says Stinson.

With the Jamboree now complete, team members are busy getting ready for the fourth annual Brick by Brick charity dinner and silent auction Saturday night at the Dr. Foster James Penny Building.

“This year the charity is 5th on 5th Youth Services,” says Caton. “They are facing funding challenges and are at risk of losing a number of programs which could affect thousands of young people.”

The iGEM team has hosted a charity event for the past three years as a way to give back to the community that has supported them throughout the year. As far as Stinson and Caton know, the U of L iGEM team is unique in hosting such an event.

"We got silent auction items from all over the community so the community has been really open to helping us,” says Caton.

All proceeds from the Brick by Brick event will go to 5th on 5th. Although tickets are sold out, anyone wanting to help the organization can donate online through the 5th on 5th Youth Services website.

U of L students’ work to be showcased at annual Chinook Symposium

caroline.zentner — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 18:00:48 +0000

Students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry will be highlighting their original research in the eighth annual Chinook Symposium, a student conference that includes a judged poster presentation.

Thirty-five students, including post-doctoral fellows, doctoral candidates, master’s and undergraduate students and a high school student, are participating this year. They have the opportunity to win big prizes, $300 for first place and $100 for second place in their category.

Students explain their research to judges at last year's Chinook Symposium.

“The prize money is drawn from a scholarship that we established seven years ago, based on donations from faculty members. Currently, it sits at $25,000. Most of us have standing donations into the fund so it’s actually a way for our department to give back to the students,” says Hans-Joachim Wieden, a professor in the department.

Corporate donors have also contributed to the scholarship and the Loren Hepler Gold Medal for PhD Research Excellence was added in 2009. Two finalists are chosen, one chemist and one biochemist, to give short lectures as a capstone to the symposium and then a winner is chosen. In 2012, two rookie prizes were added for students presenting at the conference for the first time.

Wieden invites the public to attend Friday’s symposium to get a firsthand look at the kind of research the students are conducting.

“I think it’s important to show that we have undergraduates and high school students working on projects that have direct relevance to areas such as public health or our economy,” he says.

The students’ research topics are diverse and apply to issues like cancer therapies, new antibiotics, rare diseases, agriculture and the oil industry.

“It’s a way for students to showcase and explain their work to their parents, friends and family. It’s an opportunity for the people who don’t work with the students day-to-day to ask questions about their research. For the general public, this is an opportunity to feel the pulse of what goes on in our research groups,” says Wieden.

Posters will be installed in Markin Hall and available for public viewing Friday morning from 10 a.m. to noon. Students arrive at 1 p.m. and judging begins. At 5 p.m., the Loren Hepler medal candidates will deliver their presentations, followed by an awards ceremony.

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