Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Biochemistry

Knox College is a national leader in involving students in advanced undergraduate research. Opportunities for students in biochemistry include:

• Independent Study courses
• Individual and team-based projects
• Collaboration with faculty, co-authoring of journal articles
• Ford Research Fellows Program
• Hughes Research Fellowships in the Natural Sciences
• College Honors (advanced research and thesis, oral defense with outside examiner)
• Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program
• National Conference on Undergraduate Research
• State, regional and national conferences in specific disciplines

Recent College Honors

• "Investigation of the Unfolding/Folding Process of the GrpE1-112 Tetrameric Deletion Mutant Protein," Kelby Mitchell Okada, '09.
• "Characterization of the Effects of Acute Ethanol Exposure on Signaling Pathways in Response to LPS Stimulus in RAW 264.7 Cells," Michele Christine Darrow, '09.
• "Using the GrpE Protein from E. coli. to Investigate Alpha Helix Length Requirements for Four-Helix Bundle Formation," Nalin U.G. '07.
• "Microscopic and Genetic Identification and Characterization of Centrin in Phascolosoma agassizii (phylum Sipuncula)," Rebecca Blackburn.
• "Probing Four-Helix Bundle Stability in the GrpE Protien via Internal Deletion Mutants," Tilemahos Spyratos.
• "'Hypothermia Differentially Regulates LPS Induced Genes in RAW 264.7 Cells': The Role of MAP Kinases in iNOS and COX-2 Regulation," Ayush Giri.
• "Temperature-induced modulation of ?-interferon and interleukin-4 activity in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages" Eric Pietras.
• "Preparing Constructs to Study mRNA Levels in Barley Aleurone Layers Incubated in the Absence of Gibberellin," Sarah Atkinson.
• "Purification of Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterase From Bovine Heart Tissue," Somnath Basu.
• "Neurotransmitter-Mediated Modulation of the Endotoxin Response of Murine Mononuclear Phagocytic Leukocytes," Sara Hamilton.
• "The Effects of Heat Shock on Membrane Fluidity in Crude Microsomal Preparations from Barley Aleurone Layers," Cory Kending.

Off-Campus Programs and Internships
Knox actively encourages students in all disciplines to apply for off-campus study and internships. For students interested in biochemistry, these have included:

• University of Aberdeen exchange program
• Barcelona program
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Argonne National Laboratories: All sciences; recent projects include nuclear chemistry, superconductivity and energy resources
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Natural and social sciences, specializing in interdisciplinary work in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, as well as economics, political science and sociology-anthropology
• Wilderness Field Station: Options include botany, ornithology, aquatic biology, and behavioral zoology in northern Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Regional Research Laboratory
• Illinois Department of Agriculture, Animal Disease Laboratory

Internships
Few experiences can prepare you better for life after Knox than conducting an internship. As a Knox biochemistry student, you can conduct an internship for course credit either during the academic year or the summer, working closely with a faculty supervisor while engaging in fieldwork and completing an academic paper. Recent internships by biochemistry students include:

• Summer Medical Missions trip, Cameroon, Africa. Sarah Johnson, '07, biochemistry major.
• Intern, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Dept, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Cameron Lilly, '06, biochemistry major.
• Internship with Dr. Bonnie Williams, Galesburg, Illinois. Lei Zhang, '06, biochemistry major.
• Intern, Burgland Drugs, Galesburg, Illinois. Claire Matekaitis, '05, biochemistry and chemistry major.
• Sales Intern, Tropical Isle, Galesburg, Illinois. Andria Widaman, '05, chemistry and biochemistry major.