Summer Research Series: Building Molecules & the Secrets of Sulfur

Their day-to-day of building small molecules and performing organic reactions has two research aims. One, Dr. Watt explained, is working on altering the molecular structure of a drug that can be harmful to those who need it. By modifying parts of the molecule to better match the drug structure with biological targets, the research can help inform ways to improve such therapeutics. 

The other piece of the research, through which both Dr. Watt’s and Dr. Lau’s work intersects, is looking into the chemical reactivity of sulfur and building receptors that will help the researchers understand it better. 

“People might say ‘why care about something that smells so bad,’” Dr. Lau said – what they might not know, he explained, is that sulfur is a crucial component of human life and is contained in two key amino acids. 

However, sulfur is so reactive that it’s incredibly difficult to understand how it works within the human body – and particularly the heart. Through this piece of the research, they are building receptors to detect those sulfur molecules and make them less reactive, and as a result, easier to observe and understand. 

For Chrisman, Cruz and Spokis, they’re applying their skills from class daily and conducting every small piece of a chemical reaction, from the calculations and setup of equipment to the analysis. 

One key difference this summer is the lab setting, which offers a more hands-on approach with lab materials and a more one-on-one feel with their faculty mentors than the usual classroom experience can provide. 

It’s been “extremely beneficial,” said Biology major and Chemistry minor Cruz, who said she’s been able to learn way more in the research setting: “it’s crazy [for me] to know the things I know now,” she said. 

Chrisman said that the quality lab experience has not only helped with familiarity and fundamentals of the equipment, but it has also built upon her confidence and ability to see herself in a lab setting in the future. It’s also helped strengthen their personal relationship between student and professor, she added.

“We learn in the classroom, but it’s so different to apply it and really use it. It’s [also] an opportunity for better connections and better learning opportunities,” Chrisman said.  

That feeling of familiarity is part of why Dr. Watt and Dr. Lau try to give the students as much independence as possible. It allows students to take the problems on themselves and practice the foundational skills they’ll need to succeed in the field beyond the time they graduate from Emmanuel. 

“The passion I see come out of these students is really amazing,” Dr. Watt said, “the work we do is a great opportunity to see what you can achieve with organic chemistry.” 

Spokis, an honors Chemistry student who is working on Dr. Lau’s portion of the project, said she’s impressed with how much more comfortable she’s become with lab materials even since the start of the summer – and is really feeling a sense of ownership toward the work she’s been doing. 

“Often when getting into research like this, you have to start by replicating what the previous student has accomplished, and it’s very exciting when you get beyond that and start new work,” she said. “The past students laid the foundation, but you get the feeling of ‘now it’s your project’ – the work you’re advancing is really yours.”

It's opportunities like these that help Emmanuel professors train a more holistic scientist that isn’t always possible in the classroom, Dr. Lau said. “Thanks to the nature of the instruction, it’s a different type of interaction,” he said. 

With the students, Dr. Lau and Dr. Watt have also tried to focus heavily on the importance of scientific communication – and explain to students how to communicate their science well – which is not only the benefit of the holistic approach, but of the unique blend of a liberal arts and science education offered at Emmanuel College. 

Their growth as research scientists is set to continue beyond the lab as well. Cruz, as her second year as a CBL research scholar, is headed to the CBL Women in STEM conference in the last week of July, and all three students have their sights set on the Spring 2025 National Meeting of the American Chemical Society next year. 

The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.