Emily R. Currens

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Personal Information

Senior Biochemistry Major from Rockford, IL

Education

  • Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL: 2017-present
  • Rock Valley College, Rockford, IL: 2015-2017

Undergraduate Research

SOfIA (Summer Opportunities for Intellectual Activity)

Monmouth College, Summer 2017

Project: Chemistry of Baking, Dr. Laura Moore and Dr. Michael Prinsell

  • Analyzed volatile compounds associated with bread aroma using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • Learned about the bread making process and how to analyze GC-MS data

Research Experience for Undergraduates

Saint Louis University, Summer 2018

Project: Biologically Compatiable Photogeneration of Atomic Oxygen Generation, Dr. Ryan M. McCulla and Dr. Christopher K. Arnatt

  • Synthesized atomic oxygen precursors that cleanly generate atomic oxygen when exposed to UV light
  • Focused in organic chemistry, photochemistry, and biology
  • Conducted a cell assay exposing breast cancer cells to the compounds I synthesized
  • Used the following instruments: Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR), UV-Vis Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), High Pressure Flash Chromatography (HPFC)
  • Reviewed literature on photochemistry and generating atomic oxygen in biological systems
  • Prepared brief presentations to discuss the research progress for weekly meetings

https://www.slu.edu/~rmccull2/

Undergraduate Biochemistry Research (BIOC 340)

Monmouth College, Fall 2017-present

Project: Chemistry of Baking, Dr. Laura Moore and Dr. Michael Prinsell

  • Continued 2017 SOfIA project for independent research
  • Analyzing volatile compounds associated with bread aroma using GC-MS
  • Altering the bread recipe to detect changes during the bread making process
  • Performing Soxhlet extractions and steam distillations to collect liquid samples of bread aroma

Coffee Project

Monmouth College, Spring 2018

Dr. Brad Sturgeon

  • Analyzed aromatic molecules in roasted coffee using GC-MS

Coffee Project Research Page

Presentations

SOfIA 2017

Chemistry of Baking, Dr. Laura Moore and Dr. Michael Prinsell

  • Oral presentation for faculty and students in the SOfIA program
  • Prepared and presented a poster for public at Monmouth College

2018 REU

Biologically Compatiable Photogeneration of Atomic Oxygen Generation

  • Poster presentation for SLU faculty and students - August 2, 2018
  • Presented research in Science Seminar at Monmouth College - September 7, 2018

Independent Research

Chemistry of Baking, Dr. Laura Moore and Dr. Michael Prinsell

  • 2018 National American Chemical Society Conference in New Orleans, LA
  • Alumni Science Symposium - April 9, 2018
  • Scholar's Day - April 24, 2018
  • 2019 National American Chemical Society Conference in Orlando, FL
  • Scholar's Day - April 16, 2019

Experience and Activities

  • Lab assistant for CHEM 220 - Spring 2018
  • Lab assistant for CHEM 140 - Fall 2018
  • ACS Historian - Fall 2018-present

Interests

Biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and analytical chemistry