I am currently working in Professor Robert Linhardt’s lab studying protein carbohydrate interactions using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), a highly sophisticated instrument that is used to study molecular interactions in a real-time, label free environment.

Currently, I am interested in the interaction of the Alpha C Protein of the Group B Streptococcus bacteria and its interaction with Heparin and Heparan Sulfate. This interaction is believed to be a key process in a series of steps which allows the Group B Streptococcus bacteria to enter cells and cause infection. I am also researching the interaction of many biological enzymes and their functions on carbohydrates such as Heparin and Heparan Sulfate using SPR.

This program at Rensselaer has given me a priceless opportunity to work with some of the most renowned scientists in country. I have had the chance to explore many different types of labs ranging from adult stem cell differentiation, biological image analysis, predictive modeling, computational chemistry, drug discovery, nanotechnology, and biochemistry. These experiences, all performed in less than a one year time frame, have allowed me to choose a lab that fits me best.

Now that the rotation process is completed, which is normally performed as a first year graduate student, I am now in the position of a second year grad student, making progress on my Ph.D. research.

Out of the lab, I enjoy hiking, bicycling, skiing, tennis, working out, and movies. I am also part of the Rensselaer Outing Club. I grew up in Boylston, MA and have one younger brother.

Jeff Martin was recently featured in several news articles about his creation of a lab-on-a-chip device that builds complex, highly specialized sugar molecules, mimicking one of the most important cellular structures in the human body, the Golgi apparatus. “Almost completely independently he has been able to come closer than researchers with decades more experience to creating an artificial Golgi,” said Martin’s adviser, Robert Linhardt. To learn more about his discovery, read the article on page 8: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/science/news/scienceren/V2N1.pdf