Published on July 26, 2024
The Cherng Summer Scholars program allows Honors College students at the University of Missouri to explore their passions through research projects aimed at questions they are interested in analyzing. Students who are accepted into the nine-week program participate in projects that are individually designed, with the support and mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member.
This year, there are 12 Cherng Summer Scholars. Meet Hannah Rice, a junior biochemistry major.
Question: Which faculty member are you working with on your research?
Answer: I am working with Dan Bergstralh, an associate professor of biological sciences, in the Finegan-Bergstralh lab.
Question: What is the focus of your research?
Answer: The question at the heart of our research is, How does a cell maintain its shape and connect with other cells to form an organized tissue? I look at a unique function of monolayered epithelial cells called reintegration. When a cell finds itself misplaced from the tissue layer, it can reintegrate back into the layer. I investigate what allows the cell to do this and what happens when reintegration fails. A protein that guides this process is called Fasciclin II. I am looking at how Fasciclin II interacts with other proteins to drive reintegration.
Question: What interested you in this specific project?
Answer: This project intrigued me because of its simplicity. As an aspiring future physician, I must one day understand many nuances of the human body, but for now, I love studying a basic facet of development. It has been very exciting to discover more about how cells adhere to one another and maintain tissue integrity. I look forward to attending a conference of the Society for Developmental Biology where I will get to present my work and hear about others’ groundbreaking research in development. Additionally, I am continually awed by the sight of cells under the microscope and their beauty. Few people get to experience that sight!
Question: How nice has it been to be part of the Cherng Summer Scholars program?
Answer: The Cherng Summer Scholars program has been simply wonderful. It has been a blast and an important intellectual experience to share my work with other young researchers and hear about their projects. This support system has been a great resource and sounding board for my work this summer. I never would have been able to accomplish as much without this program!