Christina Cowman, IT 2009
Sulfation and Surface Polymerization of Carbohydrate Derivatives
Major
Chemistry and Physics
Mentor
Bill Gleason, Lab Medicine and Pathology
Brief Bio
I am a second year in chemistry and biophysics. I enjoy running, gopher hockey, playing french horn, and making mischief.
Future Plans
I plan on going to graduate school in either Chemistry or Physics (I haven't decided yet) and eventually becoming a professor.
Why Research?
I got into research because I wanted to see how the things I learned in my classes were truly applicable in the "real world." Also, I thought it would be beneficial to try out different types of chemistry (organic, physical, inorganic, etc.) to figure out what I liked best.
What Did I Get from Research?
Ultimately, I learned how the process of research works. I learned how small projects branch out from bigger topics. I always thought that I would never be able to come up with new projects of my own, but after a semester of working in Bill's lab and seeing what he's working on, I started developing my own projects! I also started to narrow down what topics and subjects I'm really interested in studying.
How Did I Start?
I browsed the research pages on www.chem.umn.edu and found Bill's name. I emailed him and he asked me to meet with him the next day. The rest is history.
I initially started researching for Bill in CHEM4094W, the upper-division chemistry directed research class. He encouraged me to stick with his group and so I applied for a UROP and the Heisig/Gleysteen Summer Research Fellowship, which are my projects for Summer 2007.
My Advice for Another Student:
Just give it a shot. Don't worry if you don't think you know enough to contribute to the group. You'll learn everything you need to know. Remember, the professor and the other researchers working in the lab don't know everything about that particular topic either, that's why they're doing experiments and research: to learn more.
Research Summary
My research is in sulfation and surface polymerization of carbohydrates. I work with a specific type of carbohydrate polymers called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which make up joint fluid and anticoagulants in the blood. GAGs are made up of glucose monomers covered in sulfate groups.
I start with glucose and synthesize the monomers that make up GAGs. Using different sugars, I can make synthesize sulfated components of GAGs. Specifically, I synthesize a GAG monomer of galactose (a component of milk sugar) and crystallize it to gain information about structure and purity of the compound. Then, I take my sulfated galactose monomers and attempt to polymerize them into synthetic GAGs. Using a technique called X-ray crystallography, I survey the crystals of the monomer and the polymers and attempt to determine the structure of atoms in the crystal.
These carbohydrate polymers can be used as new methods of delivering drugs to the body. We are doing research on getting these polymers to adhere to bacterial cell walls. Eventually, I plan on exploring the crystal structures of different sulfated sugars.