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Chemistry Research Lab Helps Make Progress in Neuroscience

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Arianna Schuck | Staff Writer

Chemistry professor Nasri Nesnas runs a research lab on Florida Tech’s campus. The lab focuses on caged molecules, used in neuroscience labs to help map neuron locations and functions.

A caged molecule is activated by light, as described by Nesnas.

“We make molecules that absorb light for specific functions, whether it’s understanding neural connections or understanding the human vision,” Nesnas said.

While exact numbers vary among experts in the field, the human brain is usually cited as containing 86 billion neurons, all connecting to each other trillions of times. A report from the Stanford University Medical Center states that there are over 125 trillion synapses — the connections between neurons — in the cerebral cortex alone. 

A rotary evaporator used to heat dry samples. Photo // Arianna Schuck

Nesnas said that in recent years, the lab was able to explain how a certain molecule responded to light and functioned which will help in discovering a more efficient molecule next.

“On a daily basis in the lab, I am reading articles, planning my next synthesis, or performing synthesis/analysis of compounds,” said Alexzandriea van Hoekelen, a Ph.D student working in the lab, in an emailed response. “My favorite part of the lab is constantly learning new things.”

Caylin Lepak is a sophomore majoring in genomics and molecular genetics who works as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab. 

Lepak said that her daily tasks in the lab include weighing and measuring reactants and solvents, and researching current work in related fields.

She observes advanced techniques performed by graduate students such as high performance liquid chromatography, or HPLC, and nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR. The MRI scan many people have in their life is one application of NMR.

“I want to learn skills such as how to run HPLC, NMR, and other advanced chemistry techniques on my own and analyze the results from these tests,” Lepak said. “I also hope to learn how to write and publish articles that can make a significant contribution to the scientific community.”

Students struggling with online lab instruction

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By Arianna Schuck

When Florida Tech announced that the university would be switching to online class instruction for the remainder of the spring semester on Mar. 12, many questions were raised, especially regarding the curriculum structure for lab instructions.

“We have made some adjustments to the ground rules for field and lab work in order to maintain social distancing,” said Richard Aronson, department head of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. This includes having fewer people in a lab at a time. 

Florida Tech instructors have said that online lab instruction is not ideal, but students are still receiving a good education under the current circumstances. Photo// Florida Tech Research page

On Florida Tech’s Coronavirus updates page, under the frequently asked questions section, Florida Tech administration responded to a question regarding how labs would be taught saying; “there are several solutions to be implemented to support laboratory classes. At this point, we are finalizing the plans to convert all laboratory courses online.” The FAQ page also stated that additional details on specific laboratory requirements will be provided by the professors. 

According to Aronson, the research labs will continue to take place, but there have been some changes to adapt to the current circumstances. 

“We are carrying out our lab exercises through video demonstrations, through the use of data from previous years’ labs and through the purchase of software,” Aronson said. 

While some faculty such as Julia Grimwade, program chair for biological sciences and chemistry, have said the switch to online lab instruction is necessary for students and faculty members safety in light of COVID-19, some students’ perspectives have varied. 

Alexander Datillo, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, feels that lab instruction needs to be done in person.

“Understanding the results of a lab should be made easier by switching to online,” Datillo said. “But the lack of hands-on experience will make it difficult to learn from mistakes that could be made during the experiment had it actually been performed in a lab setting.”

Other students such as Katherine Johnson, a junior majoring in general biology, said that her workload has become more taxing since switching to online instruction. Out of all of Jackson’s classes and two labs, the only instruction through Zoom is one of her labs. 

“The lack of uniform structure is taking a toll on my education,” Jackson said.“The point of labs is so they are hands on ways of learning and practicing lab protocol, simply posting data is inadequate.”

Grimwade stated that the situation for online lab instruction is not ideal, however she believes students are still receiving a very good education. 

Aronson also added that given the current circumstances, lab instruction is “quite good” at the moment. 

“What matters is that we are maintaining educational outcomes,” Aronson

Simplifying questions about COVID-19

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There is a wealth of information to navigate in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. New research continues to develop; clinical trials of candidate vaccines have begun, and a joint study including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed more about the transmission of the virus. 

In a time of uncertainty, answers to common questions can provide insights on dealing with the virus. These are some of those COVID-19 questions, answered. 

How does social distancing work? 

The CDC maintains that the most effective way to prevent illness with COVID-19 is to prevent being exposed to the virus. Social distancing, also being called physical distancing, centers around keeping a distance of six feet from others and avoiding group gatherings. 

Social distancing aids in “flattening” the epidemic curve, a visual tool used to illustrate a disease outbreak. By slowing and reducing the peak of an outbreak, healthcare services have more time to treat those infected and increase capacity, according to a report published in the medical journal The Lancet. In the long term, the report says, this provides more time for the development of vaccines and new treatments. 

Can the virus survive on surfaces and/or in the air?

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine states that the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, on copper for up to four hours, cardboard for 24 hours, and plastic and stainless steel for up to two to three days. 

The study comes from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Princeton University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The same researchers indicate that in real-world conditions, the aerosol duration would likely be under 30 minutes. 

While the World Health Organization states that it is possible to inhale the virus through close contact with a carrier, the organization maintains that the virus is not airborne, as the infectious droplets are too heavy to remain suspended in the air.

When will there be a vaccine? 

The WHO maintains that a vaccine will not be available for mass production before mid-2021. 

About 35 companies and academic institutions are working on a vaccine, ABC reports.

Why will it take that long to develop a vaccine?

Clinical development of a vaccine takes place in three phases, according to the CDC. In the first phase, the vaccine is given to a small number of people. The first injections of a candidate vaccine were administered to volunteers at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle on Mar. 16. 

A 2017 report in the Journal of Archives in Military Medicine says that traditional vaccine development can take up to 16 years. Newer approaches, such as mRNA vaccines, are putting COVID-19 vaccine development on the fast track, according to a Mar. 16 publication from the National Institutes of Health. 

These messenger RNA vaccines don’t contain a form of the actual virus. Rather, they instruct the body to make the same proteins found on the outside of a virus. This primes the immune system to recognize those proteins and respond if the actual virus enters the body, according to the NIH.

A vaccine that passes through phase one will then have to be given to a larger number of people with similar characteristics to the intended recipients of the vaccine in phase two. It isn’t until phase three that the vaccine, while still being tested for effectiveness and safety, is given to thousands of individuals. 

What other protection and treatments are available?

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one institute working on developing antibody-based countermeasures. These injections are not the same as vaccines; the protection lasts for several months, rather than several years like vaccines. It involves sampling antibodies from a COVID-19 patient, and using those as a blueprint to mass produce antibodies that can boost the immunity of people who need immediate protection like doctors, healthcare staff and family members of infected patients. 


How do I find accurate information on the virus?

Sources for up-to-date information on the virus include:

The CDC at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.

The WHO at who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

Florida Department of Health: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov 

The Florida Dept. of Health is also reachable through its COVID-19 Call Center: (866) 779-612 and by email at COVID-19@flhealth.gov

Florida Tech: Updates are posted at https://www.fit.edu/coronavirus.

Holzer Health Center: Appointments are now required, and can be made at (321) 674-8078. 

For Employers and Workers: The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a COVID-19 resource page at https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus. 

New Health Sciences Research Center to host growing biomedical engineering and premedical programs

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In spring 2020, construction will begin in the Olin Quad on Florida Tech’s new Health Sciences Research Center, an $18 million facility to host growing biomedical engineering and premedical programs. 

Design plans for the new Health Sciences Research Center that will be located in the Olin Engineering Quad.


Along with classrooms and labs for the biomedical engineering and pre-med programs, the 61,000-square-foot building will house a design center, two lecture halls, study lounges, graduate student work space, and a café, according to facilities operations. 

The center will also host augmented and virtual reality tools, providing access to simulations like virtual dissection tables, according to the Florida Tech Newsroom. 

Brett Twery, a senior from Orlando majoring in biomedical engineering, describes hearing the news of the new research building as “bittersweet.”

“I’m glad to see that there is progress within my program towards bettering opportunities for biomedical engineers, however it’s unfortunate that I will graduate by the time that the project is completed.” Twery said.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2022, according to FLORIDA TODAY. 

The Newsroom reported that the undergraduate biomedical engineering program will double in size to 300 students with the new facility, and the undergraduate pre-med program will increase enrollment by 100 students for a total of 250. 

The anticipated increase in enrollment of between 250 and 350 students will not surpass previous high enrollment levels, according to facilities operations. 

The field of biomedical engineering is expected to grow similarly to other occupations, by four percent from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median yearly pay in 2018 of $88,550. 

According to U.S. News and World Report, the top-paid 25 percent of biomedical engineers made $114,930 in 2018, with the lowest-paid 25 percent making $67,830. 

Specializations in the field include genetic engineering, biomedical electronics, and medical imaging.  Genetic engineering uses biotechnology to directly alter the genetic makeup of an organism, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute. Medical imaging includes commonplace diagnostic tools such as MRI and ultrasound. 

Facilities operations said in an emailed response that Florida Tech “seized the opportunity to refinance debt at historically low rates” which they say provided funds for center. 

According to the Florida Tech Newsroom, the facility will be funded by the sale of educational facilities revenue bonds. 

A revenue bond is a municipal bond backed by revenue that is generated by a certain project, facility, or other entity. The revenue from the project is used to repay investors, according to personal finance and business website The Balance. 

This method of funding differs from other types of bonds, as the repayment comes solely from revenue, not from tax. 

While some students like Twery may graduate before the building is completed, future students enrolled in biomedical and pre-med programs will have access to a multi-million dollar building centered around the technology and research of the two growing fields. 

NASA launches research programs for students

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NASA announced new resources and funding available to students as the program will be increasing its prevalence of small satellites, and has opened new lines of research for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Last Wednesday, a crowd of students gathered in the Hartley room to enjoy pizza and drinks before embarking on an insightful space exploration lecture led by top leading experts in the field.

Jose Nunez, the former chief of flight technologies branch at Kennedy Space Center, and the current Florida Tech liaison to KSC, presented to hundreds of young space enthusiasts.

Nunez began by describing NASA’s new objective: return to the moon by 2024. After a thorough overview of the mission phases of the Artemis program, Nunez segued to the core of his speech—research opportunities.

According to Nunez, NASA selects research through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, NSPIRES.

With this system, NASA posts requests for research proposals to which anyone can make submissions. NSPIRES also includes Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science, ROSES, which is a broad research request for anything not specifically requested elsewhere.

Furthermore, NASA is looking to use some of the ROSES funding for the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Through this initiative, students and research organizations can work with NASA to develop cubesats or small satellites, which will conduct astrophysical science research.

The Cubesat Launch Initiative is a much larger program for the development and launch of cubesats on current NASA rockets.

It includes the NASA 2020 small satellite technology partnership.

This program specifically requires the development teams to work directly with NASA and have access to a block of funds set aside for this project.

During his presentation, Nunez outlined the NASA internships.

“Internships have two different flavors,” Nunez said. “One is called a NIFs, a NASA internship fellowship. That is just a one-shot deal. The other is called a pathway. That is the path to become a civil servant.”

Nunez highlighted the value in looking for students that are involved in extracurriculars that boost their skill base in reliance to a career field in aerospace.

Some students, such as Ajeé Watson, attended mostly for the internship information.

“My major is aerospace engineering, and I wanted to hear about good opportunities,” Watson said.

Other students, such as Wesley Howell, attended more for project information.

“We have been in contact with Nunez for senior design,” Howell said. “We wanted to see how we could continue. There are a lot of opportunities for students.” Howell echoed Nunez. “My whole goal is to make you aware of the opportunities. What you do with them is up to you guys.”