FAS undergraduate students are invited to submit proposals in support of research projects carried out under the guidance of FAS faculty members. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to promote student innovation while celebrating their accomplishments. Projects are to be presented to the FAS community, and this can include talks, poster sessions, performances, exhibits, etc., organized in collaboration with the overseeing faculty member(s).
Eligibility: Full-time FAS undergraduate students
Budget: Up to $2,500
Application materials: Apply online. Please upload in PDF: 1. Proposal including abstract (no more than 200 words), description of the proposed activity and expected outcomes (no more than 1000 words), budget and budget narrative (indicating the anticipated use of the requested funds), and timeline; and 2. Supervising faculty member’s endorsement.
Application deadline: October 30; March 15
Contact: [email protected]
2025-26
- Gene expression analysis of specific targets regulating neural cell death in the embryonic brain following loss of pocket proteins
Christelle Zeidan, Student, Department of Chemistry
Noel Ghanem, Department of Chemistry
Brain injury is often associated with neuronal loss and formation of glial scar. Moreover, the clinical window of intervention is extremely short, therefore, the capacity to rescue imminently injured neurons following brain damage is critical in order to preserve network integrity and achieve functional recovery. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms that control neuronal survival is thus essential for the development of successful clinical therapy. The Retinoblastoma family of pocket proteins (p107, Rb and p130) control all aspects of neurogenesis from stem cell activation to long-term neuronal survival in the brain. We recently showed that these proteins play equally critical roles in neural stem cell (NSC) fate regulation in the adult brain. Hence, their compound deletions (Triple Knock-Out; TKO) results in a transcriptomic switch from NSCs quiescence to activation, followed by niche depletion and loss of neurogenesis in the hippocampus [1] and the olfactory bulbs (Swaidan et al. 2025 in review [2]). In comparison, during brain development, TKO embryos display severe disruptions in all stages of neurogenesis with dramatic neuronal cell death. This leads to embryonic lethality; however, the apoptotic mechanism(s) involved are not well characterized. Using a mouse proteome profiler array, we run a pilot experiment and screened the gene expression profiles of 21 key proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes in TKO compared with wild type (WT) embryos. Our preliminary results identified changes in protein expression of 10 target genes including 7 whose expressions are not affected in the adult brain upon loss of pocket proteins. These results implicate novel candidate genes acting in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway (Bcl-x, XIAP, Claspin) and a potential role for the extrinsic apoptotic pathway (TNF-R1) during development. Here, we will replicate this data with a larger sample size and confirm the observed changes in gene expression of some of these targets.
- Preparation of Fluorescent AuNPs for Optical Sensing Applications
Rabih Salameh, Student, Department of Chemistry
Digambara Patra, Department of Chemistry
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have become particularly important in medical applications and environmental sciences due to their ability to be combined into new nanotechnology platforms due to their remarkable chemical and optical characteristics. In this project, we intend to develop a new synthesis procedure for AuNPs by changing medium variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, type of reducing agents, and type of solvents used. We will increase the stability and functionality of the nanoparticles by adjusting these parameters. Following the optimization of the synthesis conditions, a fluorescent ligand, like triphenylphosphine, will be added to enable the AuNPs to have greater selectivity and sensitivity in biosensing applications. The resulting activated AuNPs will function as a universal biosensing platform that can detect multiple analytes (Anh et al., 2022). In medical diagnostics for neurotransmitter detection, or in food safety monitoring for bacterial contamination, specific methods could be employed. This project boosts the useful applications of gold nanoparticles to critical areas and improves the accuracy of their synthesis. Our main goal is to advance environmental monitoring, food safety, or medical applications using AuNPs for selective and sensitive detection. This grant will enable us to improve our methods and facilitate the development of new biosensing technology.
- Recovering Silver for a Circular Economy: Advancing Sustainability in Teaching Labs Under UN SDGs
Joe Al Ghossein, Student, Department of Chemistry
Antoine Ghauch, Department of Chemistry
Chemicals containing silver nitrate produced by the teaching laboratories cause a costly environmental hazard owing to their toxic nature and high cost of disposal. Our project seeks to determine a sustainable way for precious metal recovery (silver) in line with green chemistry principles, UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and the circular economy values. We propose the use of simple redox reactions using only metal copper and iron metal to precipitate silver and have a final solution of iron nitrate which is safer and less costly to dispose of. The proposed experiment could be introduced to the teaching laboratories to further educate about electro-chemical principles while promoting a circular economy and recovering precious metals. That proposal will also save money by reducing AUB’s spending on the management of hazardous waste. The process of using copper to precipitate silver is published online in a YouTube video and not in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Such publications aren’t optimized and don’t provide a well-documented protocol for the recovery of silver metal from silver nitrate solution. This necessitates the need to further study the available procedures, optimize yield, determine limiting factors, and publish a standard protocol that could be part of the teaching curriculum globally.
- Synthesis of Mono(Nucleobase-substituted)-Di(Amino)-s-Triazine
Naji Mansour, Student, Department of Chemistry
Kamal Bouhadir, Department of Chemistry
The goal of this project is to develop an efficient method for the synthesis of mono(nucleobase-substituted)-di(amino)-s-triazine, a valuable heterocyclic molecule with potential medicinal values as antidiabetic and anticancer pharmaceuticals. The proposed synthetic pathway is centered on the most convenient and economical methodology employing direct coupling of the commercially available nucleobases with the reactive 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-[1,3,5]triazine. We will evaluate a series of possible solvents to use for the nucleophilic attack of the nucleobases onto 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-[1,3,5]triazine. Afterword, we will optimize the reaction conditions by evaluating the time and temperature at which a high experimental yield is attained. Then, the reaction will be carried out in the Microwave Digestion System with the aim of decreasing the amount of time needed for the completion of the reaction. The successful completion of these aims will enable us to prepare the mono(nucleobase-substituted)-di(amino)-s-triazine in large-scale sufficient for biologic testing.
2024-25
- Off-On Fluorescent-Based miRNA Sensor for the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Carcinoma
Stephanie Zoghbi, Student, Department of Chemistry
Pierre Karam, Department of Chemistry
Pancreatic carcinoma is a lethal cancer and incredibly difficult to detect, inspiring investigation into miRNA sequence detection closely related to the development of the cancer. We propose using a new sensing scheme based on a previously reported enhanced fluorescent probes using conjugated polyelectrolytes complexed to PVP. This sensor would operate by complimenting the probe with a short sequence oligonucleotide modified with a quencher which would quench the fluorescent intensity of the nanoparticles in the absence of the target miRNA sequence. In the presence of the sequence, the oligonucleotide will be displaced, and a signal will be restored.