August 31, 2005

Meet the NSLS Summer Students of 2005

Each summer, a number of high school and college students perform research projects at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). Most of the students work at the NSLS as part of Laboratory-sponsored research internship programs.

The students work with scientists and engineers from the department in a wide range of research fields: medical sciences, geology and environmental sciences, chemistry, materials science, physics, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The students also attend scientific lectures, tour BNL research facilities, and participate in numerous social activities.

Interested students apply to these programs in the spring and the programs range from six to 10 weeks long. More information and application procedures can be found on the BNL Science Education website at http://www.bnl.gov/scied/.

Jeff Borack

Jeff Borack, now a senior at SUNY Binghamton, spent his summer trying to determine how to differentiate between two forms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In his project, developed by Dr. Nick Chiorazzi from the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital and NSLS scientist Lisa Miller, he analyzed B-cells (a type of white blood cell) using an infrared microscope. This research may lead to the development of a new diagnostic tool capable of helping doctors and patients determine which treatment options are best for CLL.

Michael DiBiccari

For the past two summers, Michael DiBiccari, a senior at Hauppauge High School, has worked with Elaine DiMasi, studying the growth process of biological minerals. They examined the diffraction patterns of x-rays that reflected off the mineral crystals, which helped them understand how the crystals formed. This research will be helpful in understanding the process of biomineralization.

Anubhav Jain

Anubhav Jain is now a senior at Cornell University. Both this summer and last, he worked with NSLS scientist Vivian Stojanoff, developing software to help automate the process of determining the molecular structure of proteins. This research will help structural biologists get three-dimensional structures of proteins more quickly, allowing scientists to develop treatments for many diseases faster.

Jean Christian Brutus

Jean Christian Brutus is a sophomore at Stony Brook University. This summer, he worked with engineer John Skaritka in the NSLS design room. His project involved designing a superconducting undulator (a device used in synchrotron rings), manufacturing it, and finding a way to wind and cool down the system. This undulator will be used as an insertion device for the electron accelerator in NSLS-II, the planned NSLS successor.

Gabriel Sanchez

Gabriel Sanchez, a senior at Stony Brook University, worked with mentor Cheo Teng, the NSLS systems administrator. His project involved systems/network administration. The NSLS uses Hewlett-Packard UniX machines to monitor the daily operations and data collection of the particle accelerators. These machines are configured on a network; Sanchez' objective was to successfully add another machine to this existing network. This involved the setup of a Network Information Service, the Domain Name System, and a Network File System.

Theodore Feldman

Theodore Feldman, now a junior at Stony Brook University, worked with Lisa Miller studying compositional changes in developing mouse bone. They used infrared microspectroscopy to study changes in the chemical makeup of bone as it mineralizes by analyzing the infrared spectrum of bone's organic and inorganic components. This work may help elucidate the role chemistry plays in determining bone strength and quality, which may be used to better treat and diagnose osteoporosis and similar bone diseases.

Matthew Engel

Matthew Engel worked with NSLS scientist Marc Allaire on a protein crystallography project. The particular protein he isolated and worked with is from the capsid (protein coating) of a human virus that surrounds its DNA and controls infectivity. Solving the protein's structure will allow researchers to engineer capsids with less ability to produce an immune-system response or even target specific membrane receptors.

Ebrahim Mahajna, Mahmoud Simri, and Sami Khouri Salameh.

Ebrahim Mahajna, Mahmoud Simri, and Sami Khouri Salameh are seniors at Ben Gurion University in Israel. They performed research at the NSLS as part of a U.S. Department of Energy Cooperative Research Program. Simri, working with Vivian Stojanoff, crystallized a protein and determined its structure using x-ray crystallography. Salameh, with Lisa Miller, studied a potential therapy for skin melanoma by imaging skin cancer cells using infrared light. Mahajna worked with Zhong Zhong and Avraham Dilmanian, studying whether diffraction-enhanced imaging could detect early stages of Alzheimer's disease. See the full story.

ARTICLE BY: Laura Mgrdichian