NORTHERN TODAY 10 FALL 2021 News | NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSI TY ORTHERN STATE University’s Jewett Regional Science Education Center is anything but quiet – inside the labs of the cutting-edge facility, students are hard at work on undergraduate research projects. That includes Ryan Clay. Clay, a non-traditional student majoring in biotechnology, initially planned to complete his degree in two years and never thought about conducting research. He spent his summer creating proteins. “It’s easy to get excited about all the stuff that’s possible when you start digging into it,” said Clay, of Aberdeen. “That’s how it started to snowball.” For Clay, it snowballed into a project that earned him an Undergraduate Competitive Research Grant: “Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Novel Insect Cuticle-Like Protein with Chitin and Graphene Binding Domains.” His work aims to use a specially designed protein that binds to chitin and carbon nanotubes in a way that allows for the formation of biomaterials without the need to chemically modify them. Clay said chitin is prevalent and resilient but difficult to work with directly, so he’s attempting to grow something that binds chitin to make it easier to work with. His project has several practical applications, as the material he grows will be lightweight, durable and nontoxic, making it a viable option for medical devices or protective equipment. NSU Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Jon Mitchell said Clay’s research, based on his own idea, is completely novel and has a lot of potential. “I think it has a really good shot of working, which is really exciting,” Mitchell said. “There are all kinds of potential uses and avenues he can do while he’s here and after.” Mitchell worked with Clay on the project this summer. At NSU, faculty members don’t lead student research projects, he said; students and faculty work together as colleagues. “It’s the benefit of Northern,” he said. Students conduct summer research at Northern State University N Summer a Great Time for Research Clay isn’t the only NSU student who worked on research this summer. Olivia Rud studied biofilm formation on breathing devices, and Laurie Rogers looked at bacteria and biofilms associated with plaque formation, Mitchell said. Both are Honors Program students. Five students screened mosquitoes for the West Nile virus in Brown County, an ongoing project with the S.D. Department of Health. “It’s easy to get excited about all the stuff that’s possible when you start digging into it.” Mitchell said summer is a great time for research. “During the school year is hard because we’re teaching and there’s the pull of
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