Major:
Chemistry/Forensic
Project:
Probe the Function of Big Proteins with Small Fluorine Atoms
In this project, Beauregard explored another application of fluorine to probe the structure and function of proteins. Proteins are the essential biomacromolecules that regulate nearly all cellular functions. They influence how we work, think, eat, and even sleep. Proteins are made of amino acids, the fundamental building blocks, as nature uses 20 such basic units. Investigating the relationship between the structure of individual amino acids and the overall function of proteins will facilitate the discovery of new therapeutics, advance our understanding of human diseases, and improve biotechnology-enabled manufacturing processes.
Faculty Mentor:
Fang Wang, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
“This summer, my research in synthetic organic chemistry centered on difluoromethylation and hydrogen/deuterium exchange, where I synthesized and characterized compounds like CF2H-quinoline and difluoromethylated benzimidazoles. Beyond the specific chemistry, I learned how to troubleshoot a synthesis in real time, optimize column chromatography, and interpret 1H and 19F NMR spectra to confirm purity and product identity. Just as valuable, I learned that rigorous experimental work is an iterative process of hypothesis, failure, and refinement rather than a straight line to a result. I plan to carry this problem-solving mindset and technical fluency into my remaining coursework and, ultimately, into medical school and a career in psychiatry, where I hope to conduct research as well. The molecular and mechanistic understanding I built gives me a foundation for thinking critically about how compounds behave in biological systems, a valuable understanding I believe will make me a more thoughtful clinician and researcher.” – Nick Beauregard