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Anita Nguyen is a junior at South majoring in biomedical science. |
Nguyen, one of only 31 students nationwide who was accepted into the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), is currently studying the stress response of salmonella through sRNA-mediated regulation for her Honors College thesis.
“I study the mechanism that causes the cell to decide to either undergo active stress resistance or persister formation,” she said.
The student body president of the Honors College, Nguyen conducts research in the lab of Glen Borchert, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology in the Whiddon College of Medicine and a professor of biology in USA’s College of Arts and Sciences.
“Shortly after recruiting Anita to join my research laboratory in May of 2023, I came to realize she is one of those rare exceptional students among a sea of impressive peers,” Borchert said. “She has also proven to be a very quick study acquiring a myriad of technical lab skills that many students never quite master.”
In Borchert’s lab, the roles that noncoding RNAs and G4 structures play during growth and development, infectious disease, how misregulations contribute to various diseases and oncogenesis, and also how they evolve and contribute to speciation, are examined.
Nguyen now serves as the lab manager and organizes STEM outreach, such as coordinating tours for Clark-Shaw Magnet Middle School students.
“Due to how impressed I was with her competency, I offered her a paid position as my lab manager in September of 2023 because I fully trust her to ensure smooth operations in this lab,” he said. “She is also the first lab manager in the history of my lab to have earned a raise, as it was an exception I made based on her unrivaled commitment and efficiency.”
Her leadership and involvement led to her induction in the ASBMB honors society, which is a prestigious distinction given to exceptional undergraduate juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences at colleges or universities with student chapters. Students are recognized for their academic achievement, research accomplishments and outreach activities.
Nguyen, who serves as the vice president of the USA chapter on campus, has her sights set on dentistry.
“I aspire to become a dentist who prioritizes the health of patients and the advancement of dental technology through research,” she said. “As a student researcher, I have gained a strong respect for researchers during my time in a lab at the University of South Alabama.
“Therefore, I would like to incorporate aspects of research into my career as a dentist. I strive to find a balance between the research development of technological advancements in dental treatments and my desire to cater to the well-being of my patients.”
Students in the Honors College at USA are encouraged to seek research opportunities to serve as the foundation for their senior honors thesis. Having had no previous research experience, Nguyen feels fortunate to have gotten involved in the ASBMB and Borchert’s lab for the opportunities she’s received.
“It was such an honor to receive acceptance to the ASBMB Honor Society, ΧΩΛ, since there were only 31 students selected nationally,” she said. “In April, I had the opportunity to go to the national DiscoverBMB conference in San Antonio, where I met plenty of intelligent and insightful students there and loved learning about the different research projects that they are pursuing.”
There, Nguyen also competed in the poster competition.
“Particularly of note, Anita is very well-spoken, and her ASBMB presentation proved that she is quite knowledgeable about her project and can think on her feet,” Borchert said. “Not only is she a precise orator, but she also thoughtfully organized the format of her poster so that any audience member who may not be entirely familiar with the field can understand her project’s purpose.”
Founded in 1906, the ASBMB is an international nonprofit scientific and educational organization – one of the largest molecular life science societies in the world – that counts students, researchers, educators and industry professionals among its more than 11,000 members.
Its mission is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through scientific and educational journals, scientific meetings, advocacy for research and education, career development support, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce.