A Westminster College senior biochemistry major spent the summer working on fluorescence anisotropy experiments to study RNA binding in the histone mRNA degradation complex.

Mason Baldwin of Seven Fields, Pa., participated in the Integrated Computational and Experimental Chemistry National Science Foundation-Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) Program at Duquesne University.

Baldwin worked alongside Duquesne faculty members Dr. Rita Mihailescu and Dr. David Heisler, Westminster College Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Patrick Lackey and graduate students Dustin Brown and Caleb Frye.

The team worked to answer specific questions regarding the mechanism of histone mRNA degradation.

Baldwin presented his research at the Duquesne University Undergraduate Research Symposium. He said participating in the symposium advanced his presenting skills and allowed him to network with other students from Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

Baldwin, a graduate of Seneca Valley High School, plans to pursue a career in pharmaceutical research and development.

The Integrated Computational and Experimental Chemistry NSF-REU Program is made possible through the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Defense's Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Education (ASSURE) program and the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program.

For more information about Westminster’s biochemistry program, click here.  

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