Ryschon earns third place at science research competition

Ryschon, Sonya Behrends of Alliance, Nebraska, and Danara Abshire of Chadron all presented posters at the conference. The three are NE-INBRE Scholars who receive financial support, mentorship, and research experience through the program

NE-INBRE scholars typically participate in a two-year program, including a 10-week summer research experience at a major research institution in Nebraska, followed by continued research during the academic year. Students also receive stipends, housing support, and opportunities to attend national conferences. The program is designed for students in STEM fields, particularly those interested in pursuing doctoral programs or careers in biomedical research.

Ryschon conducted her research in the laboratory of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Khalimonchuk lab under the mentorship of Dr. Iryna Bohovych, senior research associate.

Bohovych said Ryschon worked on a new project linked to the Khalimonchuk lab’s collaboration with Dr. Deepa Dabir at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

“Using baker’s yeast genetic model, Piper demonstrated that Aim32 protein – a largely uncharacterized mitochondrial protein required for anaerobic growth – plays an important role in mitochondrial copper homeostasis. This finding unraveled Aim32’s functional similarity to human ferredoxin FDX1 – a major regulator of clinically relevant copper-induced cell death,” Bohovych said.

Bohovych praised Ryschon’s approach to research, noting her attention to detail, time management and work ethic allowed her to generate extensive data. Ryschon also earned a place as a co-author on an upcoming manuscript.

“She was also strongly encouraged to present her research at the upcoming American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting in Boston next year. It was a true privilege to host Piper in our lab. We are looking forward to hearing about her future successes,” Bohovych said.

Behrends conducted research in the laboratory of Dr. Tim Gatzenmeier, assistant professor at UNL, where she helped initiate research on novel nucleotide anticancer agents.

Gatzenmeier said the research focuses on a class of medicine introduced in the 1960s that became a cornerstone of chemotherapy. However, many modern chemical modifications remain unexplored and could have the potential to address cancer drug resistance.

“Sonya worked with a postdoctoral researcher in my lab and they were able to establish the fundamental synthetic strategy as well as produce several novel agents that are undergoing biological testing,” Gatzenmeier said. “Sonya is a highly talented student with a phenomenal work ethic, and she has a very successful journey in STEM research ahead of her.”

Dr. Shaunda French-Collins, dean of Chadron State College’s School of Business, Mathematics and Science, was the keynote speaker for the gathering.

French-Collins said she hopes that INBRE students realize that while they may aspire to work in a lab or similar setting, communication is still imperative to accomplishing their work.

“I also hope they realized the importance of often overlooked nonverbal communication such as such as a handshake, facial expressions, and tone,” French-Collins said. “Students need to be aware of who their audience is while explaining their research. Explaining your research to a scientist may be different than explaining it to a loved one. The methodology and results won’t change, but how you explain it will.”