February 21, 2020
Annual biosciences symposium honors K-State students for research posters, presentations
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
Four Kansas State University students were among the 18 undergraduates honored for their scientific research presentations at the 18th annual Kansas IDeA — Institutional Development Awards — Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, or K-INBRE, Symposium Jan. 18-19 in Wichita.
The annual symposium is part of the K-INBRE initiative to prepare undergraduate students for careers in the biosciences. Ten campuses in Kansas and Oklahoma participate in the collaborative network that is led by the University of Kansas Medical Center.
"K-INBRE aims to keep the biosciences in Kansas growing and thriving by offering training and professional development resources for students, young faculty and established researchers," said Doug Wright, principal investigator for K-INBRE and professor and vice chair in anatomy and cell biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. "The annual symposium is an opportunity for these student and faculty researchers to come together to showcase their research and see what others in Kansas are accomplishing."
The program provides undergraduate students opportunities to work in research laboratories or conduct field research in their communities under the guidance of faculty mentors. Students are expected to develop unique research projects to gain skills in design, technique and presentation to better inform their future career choices in the biomedical sciences.
The annual symposium brings together the network of students, faculty and staff from the University of Kansas Medical Center, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Haskell Indian Nations University, K-State, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas, Washburn University, Wichita State University, and Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma. More than 150 posters were presented by students, postdocs, faculty and staff.
The following K-State students received cash prizes for their oral or poster presentations at the symposium:
• Adara Warner, sophomore in microbiology and pre-medicine, Belleville, for her poster presentation "Identification of regulatory domains in HD-Zip IV transcription factor GLABRA2."
• Mayme Loyd, senior in medical biochemistry and pre-medicine, Bucyrus, for her poster presentation "Cell wall membrane fraction of Chlorella sorokiniana enhances host anti-tumor immunity and inhibits colon carcinoma growth in mice."
• Erianna Basgall, senior in biochemistry, Ellis, for her poster presentation "Design of S. pyogenes Cas9 nuclease immune to anti-CRISPR inhibition."
• Isabel Lewis, senior in biochemistry and pre-medicine, Helotes, Texas, for her oral presentation "CRISPR Cas12a endonuclease in a gene drive: Cuts only as good as the guide."