Jose Alvarenga
MBRS Student-Senior

Lab Group: Mascharak Lab
Major: Chemistry

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.

Jessica Avalos
MBRS Student- Senior

Lab Group: Hartzog Lab
Major: Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology

Research: I'm working with yeast mutation, specially on histone mutation. Histones are very important because they play a crucial rule in DNA organization and regulation of gene expression. By working with these mutations I'm hoping to learn more about how histones work and how they interact with DNA.

Internships/Presentations/Awards:

Jessica Alvalos, Araceli Ortiz, Tiffani Quan, Grant Hartzog. "Synthetic Genetic Analysis of Histone H3/H4 Mutations." SACNAS National Conference, October, 2007. Poster Presentation. Abstract. Travel Award Recipient.

Jessica Alvalos, Araceli Ortiz, Tiffani Quan, Grant Hartzog. "Synthetic Genetic Analysis of Histone H3/H4 Mutations." Undergraduate Research Symposium UCSC June, 2007. Poster Presentation. Abstract

Summer 2006. University of California, Santa Cruz, MBRS Research Training Program, June-August 2006.

April Bautista
MBRS Student- Junior

Lab Group: Singaram Lab
Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Research: I am working on methods for the synthesis of a novel class of chiral b-amino alcohols based on (+)- nopinone are presented. These amino alcohols are employed as chiral directors in the addition of diethylzinc to aromatic aldehydes. Other b-amino alcohols used as chiral directors in diethylzinc reactions are commonly synthesized from chiral starting materials. However, both enantiomers of said starting material are typically required to produce the set of directors leading to both alcohol enantiomers. A single enantiomer of nopinone is used to synthesize two sets of b-amino alcohols 1 and 2 to yield enantiomeric alcohol products upon the addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. The screening results for several different amino alcohols as well as the extent of substrate scope are described.

Internships/Presentations/Awards:

April Bautista, Dr. Bakthan Singaram, Caitlin Binder. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz.THE SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL CHIRAL b-AMINO ALCOHOLS AND APPLICATION IN THE ASYMMETRIC DIETHYLZINC REACTION. California Alliance for Minority Participation Conference. February 22-24, 2007. University of California, Irvine. Poster Presentation.

Melissa Bolotaolo
MBRS Student- Junior

Lab Group: Holman Lab
Major: Molecular Cell & Developmental Biology

Jamie Felicitas
MBRS Student- Senior

Lab Group: Bowman Lab
Major: Health Science

Research: I am currently in professor Barry Bowman's lab. I am currently working on a project with Barry and Rusty Bowman involving several genes that appear to encode for cax-like proteins. . Cax is a calcium/proton exchanger found in the vacuolar membrane. We are currently working with several knockout strains of these cax-like genes and using the filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa . We hope to characterize the function of and locate these proteins in the cell.

Internships/Presentations/Awards:

ANALYSIS OF TWO GENES THAT ENCODE PUTATIVE CALCIUM TRANSPORT PROTEINS. Jamie Q. Felicitas. Dr. Barry Bowman. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. November 7-10, 2007, Austin, Texas.Poster Presentation

Summer 2006. University of California, Santa Cruz, MBRS Research Training Program, June-August 2006.

Laura Jimenez
MBRS Student-Senior

Lab Group: Bowman Lab
Major: Molecular and Cell Developmental Biology

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.

Rowena Kumar
MBRS Student-Senior

Lab Group: Feldheim Lab
Major: Biology B.S.

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.

Tiffany Lopes
MBRS Student-Senior

Lab Group: Ares Lab
Major: Molecular & Cell Developmental Biology

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.

Busola Oluwole
MBRS Student - Senior

Lab Group: Rubin Lab
Major: Biology B.S.

Research: The Rubin lab deals with understanding biochemical mechanisms that control the cell cycle. Specifically, we deal with the proteins that control entry into the S Phase. E2F is a family of transcription factors that activate genes necessary for DNA synthesis.

Internships/Presentations/Awards:

Busola Oluwole, Dr. Seth Rubin, Rachel Steinhardt. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz. DEPHOSPHORYLATION OF THE RETINOBLASTOMA PROTEIN.California Alliance for Minority Participation Conference. February 22-24, 2007. University of California, Irvine. Oral Presentation.

Busola Oluwole. Winter Quarter Recepient of CBSE Award. 2008.

Busola Oluwole, Rachel Steinhardt, Set Rubin. "Dephosphorylation of the Retinoblastoma Protein." Undergraduate Research Symposium UCSC June, 2007. Abstract.

An Phan
MBRS Student- Junior

Lab Group: Feldheim Lab
Major:Molecular & Cell Developmental Biology

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.

Fabian Rivera
MBRS Student-Senior

Lab Group: Yildiz Lab
Major: Health Sciences

MARC/MBRS/CAMP Summer Research Institute. University of California, Santa Cruz. June 25 - August 17, 2007.