Dear all donors,
I sincerely thank you for donating to the McGill Alumni and Friends Science Undergraduate Research Award. My name is Daniel Krauss, and I was born here in Montreal. I’ve always thought of McGill as an incredible school, and now it seems like it’s only getting better thanks to this amazing opportunity that you have provided for me. I am an undergraduate student entering my U3 of biochemistry. Biochemistry is quite a diverse field, and I really enjoy it. It opens one to almost all biological and chemical science including genetics, biotechnology, bioengineering, chemical biology, and even medical school.
As of January 2019, I have been apart of Dr. Hanadi Sleiman’s lab in the department of chemistry. The Sleiman lab is involved in a field of research known as DNA nanotechnology, or DNA origami. This type of research uses DNA, not as a biological molecule used to store genetic information, but as an actual physical molecule with predicable behaviors. This lab uses DNA to build nanostructures like cubes, rods, junctions, micelles, and many others. One of the limits of this region of science, is the ability to generate large amounts of these structures, and that’s where I come in! My project involves the use of bacteriophage to mass-produce DNA for nanostructures, which is very important for potential therapeutic applications. On a side note, I can contribute to my project largely due to my knowledge gained from biochemistry.
This research experience has really taught me some important lessons about the scientific method, including how slow it is. I mentioned that I joined in January, but one semester really isn’t enough time to accomplish much. Without your generous donations to the SURA program, I likely wouldn’t have been able to continue my project this summer. This is because, like everyone, I have bills to pay. If not for the donations I received, I would have been forced to work a regular student job at Provigo or Starbucks. Thanks to an un-halted research experience that is continuing into this September 2019, I can make great headway into my project. This hopefully will lead to me publishing a paper during my undergrad. I have essentially completed half of a master’s degree! This experience has shown me that I am interested and ready for grad school once I finish my undergraduate.
Something unexpected that occurred directly because of my McGill Alumni and Friends Science Undergraduate Research Award is that I spoke during Soup and Science this year. If you are unfamiliar, Soup and Science is an event hosted by McGill where Professors from different departments briefly talk about their research in front of new U0 and U1 undergraduate students. Afterwards, they stay around to talk with the students over lunch for those who are interested in research. This year I was an Undergraduate Research Ambassador! I spoke in front of these students about my experience with research this past year, and students even approached me afterwards with questions. I am currently in contact with a new undergraduate right now, because he is interested in the Sleiman lab! I truly feel honored to have my voice heard and realize that it means something to people. This would have been impossible without my research award.
Again, I must thank all the donors for this experience. Without you, I might not have the confidence to continue onto research. Thanks to this summer, I have made new friends in the lab, and now I know that I can make a difference in the scientific community starting now, not after I gain my PhD. This summer has been an experience that I will never forget.
Sincerely,
Daniel Krauss