This summer we're profiling recipients of summer undergraduate research fellowships to learn about their academic interests and glance into their daily lives as undergraduate researchers.

Today we're speaking with MCB senior Justin Glab, a member of the Mary Schuler lab and a 2024 recipient of the Spudich Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Why did you decide to apply for a fellowship?
I felt a commitment to my research. Dr. Schuler had given me such an opportunity to work in her lab, and I felt it was my responsibility to accomplish as much as I could over the summer.

How did you get involved in Dr. Schuler’s lab?
I came to the university as a transfer student in the fall of 2022 and started sending emails to a few different PIs that I had found through the MCB website. I threw up a bunch of shots, and Dr. Schuler was nice enough to let me come into the lab. I started at the end of that fall semester.

Tell us about your research interests and what you’re working on this summer.
I like dabbling in a little bit of everything. I’m a bioengineering minor, so I like fixing things up in the lab and designing new ways for us to do things. Right now I’m working on purification of cytochrome P450s that can be used to determine the biosynthetic pathway that camptotheca acuminata uses to produce Camptothecin, which is a potent anti-tumor agent. We’re studying the pathway made by this plant and trying to determine the proteins along that pathway.

What does an average day look like for you?
I’m working on three projects currently, expressing three different cytochrome P450 71BE206 mutants within their active sites to determine the importance of certain amino acids to the function of the protein. When I get into the lab I try to start whichever project will take longer that day. I’m kind of limited by incubation periods, so I may only be in the lab for a few hours. My usual day consists of dethawing reagents, running PCRs, DNA purification, ligating into vectors, transformations, incubating cells, protein purification, protein dialysis, protein concentrating, chromatography, HPLC and gel electrophoresis. I don’t really have a regular schedule; it’s just step-by-step and everything changes weekly depending on where I am in the process.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I like getting my hands dirty and trying a bunch of different techniques to broaden myself as a scientist. Working with as many people as possible helps me learn how different researchers approach the same process. I’m just hoping to stay on the forefront of everything going on in the field.

What are your career or academic goals?
I’ve had two internships, one with the Navy (through engineering) and the other with Quest Diagnostics. I’m graduating this fall, and while graduate school might be a possibility in the future, for now I’d like to explore the industry side and take advantage of some connections. Along with traditional biochemistry jobs, I am also looking into applying for jobs related to bioengineering and scientific sales for both the medical and research fields.

Do you have any advice for other undergraduates who would like to get involved in research?
I was a transfer student, so I didn’t know anyone or anything. I just decided to send out a bunch of emails, and it worked. I’m a big basketball fan, and some players have said they’d rather shoot 1-for-17 than 1-for-10 because the latter means they were less active. I think it’s similar with school and research; even if there isn’t an opening, maybe people will think of you in the future because you did reach out. Also, try to get into a lab earlier than later because the number of semesters will matter when you’re applying for fellowships. And make sure to build a good relationship with your PI.

How do you like to spend your free time?
I like working out, watching sports — especially the NBA — and playing video games. I enjoy spending free time as well with my family and girlfriend. I have a great friend group that also supports me and allows me to refresh myself so I never get burnt out. On the weekends, I’ll usually go back home to the suburbs to see these people that all support me.