Summer Research Series: Behind the Scenes of Terpenes

They’re all terpenes or derived from terpenes – the largest and most diverse group of molecules that occur in nature.

While the name may be unfamiliar, terpenes are the foundation of many different commonly found substances, like Pine-Sol, citrus fruits, pine trees, and even the chemotherapy drug Taxol. Terpenes are made up of smaller enzymes called terpene synthases, which work by coordinating highly reactive chemical species into specific structures.

This summer, a research group led by Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Jason O. Matos is studying how terpenes are formed in nature.

“Studying how terpene synthases work can teach us some of nature’s fundamental chemistries,” Dr. Matos said. “My lab is really interested in how terpene synthases recognize their substrates and using this knowledge to form new terpene-like molecules.

This is the first time that both Biotechnology major Jessica Baldwin ‘28 and biology major (with a health sciences concentration) Isabella Petrov ’27 have embarked on undergraduate research. Within their own individual projects, Baldwin is focused on engineering an existing enzyme, while Petrov is looking into the discovery of an entirely new enzyme.

Despite being interested in two different career pathways, participating in research this summer has made a valuable impact on both students’ growth as scientists.

“We’re practicing lots of new lab techniques and learning new concepts – and we’re able to dive in deeper than in classes,” Petrov said.

Her sights are set on med school, but Petrov said she’s appreciated the opportunity to approach lab work, and the field of biology as a whole, through a different lens – helping her become a more well-rounded student.

For Baldwin, who aspires to enter a Ph.D. program and pursue molecular biology, this research topic is the exact type of practice she can draw from on her career path. That includes further practice with industry-standard software, like the biomolecule visualization tool Pymol, and learning more about how Dr. Matos leverages AI tools to support the trajectory of the research.

“It’s a really supportive environment, we can ask questions, we have other students here in the same boat as us, and we have the freedom to make mistakes without pressure,” Baldwin said.

Nearing the end of his first full-year teaching at Emmanuel this fall, Dr. Matos said he’s been very impressed by how engaged students are with their research at the College. It’s an opportunity to expand on skills they’ve developed in coursework – like visualizing proteins.

"We end up employing techniques from biology, biochemistry and even AI approaches to help us understand how terpene synthases work," Dr. Matos said.