Project Seed 2003

Project #1
Illinois State University
Prof. Marjorie Jones

Hemoglobin is a complex of the protein, globin, and the porphyrin heme. Heme is the molecular part of the complex that binds and carries oxygen and therefore understanding how it is synthesized is important. We are currently involved in the isolation and characterization of one of the enzymes involved in synthesis of heme. We have the clone for this enzyme, coproporphyrinogen oxidase, and thus can grow bacteria to provide large quantities of the protein enzyme. The Seed Project student would become involved in the isolation and the characterization of this enzyme using standard biochemical techniques. The student would learn how to isolate the protein, measure its concentration, and evaluate its purity. The student would also learn how to tell if the enzyme is catalytically active. The data collected by the student would be used to assess the effectiveness of our isolaltion procedures and help us get a better fundamental understanding of factors that inhibit this enzyme. This information has implications for the clinical problems called porphyrias.

Project #2
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research
Drs. Cermak & Finkenstadt

Using state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the research project will demonstrate that natural products and biomaterials can be extended to fields outside agriculture. Specifically, the Project SEED student will formulate blends of natural products, process materials using extrusion technology, and then evaluate the mechanical properties of the materials. The student will assist in the interpretation of results. This project will use a problem-based learning technique in order to optimize the experience for the Project SEED student. The student will identify the concepts needed to solve a problem and then apply them in a logical sequence, learning by trial and error, in order to arrive at a workable solution. The student will have an opportunity to present the research at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting.

Project #3
Illinois State University
Dr. David Cedeno

Our goal is to investigate the nature of metal-olefin bonds, and specifically how the environment around the metal and the olefin influences their interaction, while providing experimental values for metal-olefin bond strengths. The ultimate goal of the proposed research is to fully understand and rationalize the metal-ligand bonding interactions in order to provide a complete quantitative metal-olefin bonding model that allows the prediction of bond strengths. The following objectives are set to reach our goal:

1. Determine experimental metal-olefin bond dissociation enthalpies in homologous series of selected metal-olefin complexes
2. Calculate bond energies that reproduce the experimental values and decompose these into attractive (electrostatic and orbital interaction), repulsive (steric), and reorganizational components.
3. Establish quantitative correlations between the structure of the metal-olefin complex and the bond energy components that rationalize the experimental bond energies.