Elon College Fellow, chemistry major and senior Amanda Brechbill was selected to present her research at the 68th annual Southeast Regional American Chemical Society meeting.
Beneficial therapeutic effects, such as the use of vanadium complexes to treat diabetes, are known, but the underlying factors that are responsible for their activity are poorly understood. Delineating the influence of metallic compounds on secondary peptide structure in these model systems will permit a deeper understanding of what factors impact changes in protein and enzyme structure.
Her mentor, Professor Jen Dabrowski, reflects that: “Amanda has worked diligently over the past year to uncover promising results. Her selection to present at SERMACS is evidence of this, and the experience was an opportunity to illustrate how collaborative the scientific community is.”
Conversations with faculty in attendance resulted in a new analysis protocol for further investigations. “I was surprised how helpful and open everyone was, and I am excited to apply the new ideas that were shared at SERMAC to my current research,” Brechbill said.