UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #408 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 408

Submission ID: 8311

Submission UUID: 924ee44f-44b2-4719-a877-782766ae627b

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=0se7ap1NlOYg97tXNVTztwYiGp0g80DjgFtt2BZuG9I

Created: Thu, 08/10/2023 - 04:28 PM

Completed: Thu, 08/10/2023 - 04:28 PM

Changed: Fri, 09/01/2023 - 01:37 PM

Remote IP address: 128.186.168.104

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Zucai Suo

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns Dr.

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? suo.zucai@med.fsu.edu

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) zucai.suo@med.fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) Medicine

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation FSU

Headshot (optional) {Empty}

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) Nikita Zalenski

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) nikita.zalenski@med.fsu.edu

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) Turner Seay

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) turner.seay@med.fsu.edu

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Mechanistic investigation of the Inhibitory mechanisms of a novel blockbuster anti-AIDS drug

Project Keywords HIV. nucleoside analog drug, drug inhibitory mechanism, AIDS

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 3

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) The potential undergraduate researchers should major in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, or biomedical engineering.

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? {Empty}

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 8 hours

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? During business hours

Overall Research Project Description Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) persists as one of the top ten leading causes of death in certain populations. One significant feature of HIV is its ability to mutate with high frequency, garnering resistance to many historical and current anti-HIV medications. Our research aims to investigate the kinetics of the novel nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), Islatravir, with HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) mutants or human DNA polymerases. Islatravir is undergoing multiple phase II and III clinical trials by Merck, Inc. Our research efforts will help Merck to understand the inhibitory mechanism and potential toxicity of Islatravir at molecular level.

Research Tasks bench work, data collection and analysis, and prepare simple project report under the guidance of graduate students and Dr. Suo.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended skills: biochemistry and some chemistry skills, and good bench performance.

Mentoring Philosophy As a professor for more than 22 years, I enjoy working with the motivated students. I feel really good when I see my young trainees growing intellectually and professionally. During my career, I have trained about undergraduate researchers in my labs at the Ohio State University and here. The general pattern is that the GPAs of my undergraduate researchers were/are higher after working in my labs.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://med.fsu.edu/suolab/home

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): {Empty}

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2023

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