Published on July 15, 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 Mackenna Rodgers, a senior biochemistry major.
Question: Which faculty member are you working with on your research?
Answer: I am currently working with Peter Cornish, an associate professor of biochemistry, along with some assistance with the plant side of my research through Craig Schenck, an assistant professor of biochemistry.
Question: What is the focus of your research?
Answer: The focus of my research is to develop a system by which plants can be easily screened for metabolites that inhibit translation in bacteria. In less complex terms, I am trying to find compounds in plants that can kill bacteria through not allowing them to make proteins that they need to survive.
Question: What interested you in this specific project?
Answer: I came into college wanting to do a research project based on the growing field of plant-based medicine. I took a Native American course through the Honor’s College my freshman year and we did a block on Native American medicine that deepened my interest. Coming from a small town, I love the idea that most of the resources and things we need already exist around us in nature. I ended up doing some other research in the department of pharmacology for a few years and had pushed this idea to the back of my mind, but then I found Dr. Cornish. My previous PI had retired, and I wanted to explore new research opportunities, so I started with bacteria. I overheard Dr. Cornish talking about faint ideas of starting a project with a plant lab (as we only do bacteria), and I knew I needed to be on the project. Together, Dr. Cornish and I developed this project, and it has given me so much joy to see it come to fruition. As the world faces the crisis of antibiotic resistance, it is going to take out of the box thinking and looking for new avenues to find treatments for infections, and that’s what I am hoping to provide.
Question: How nice has it been to be part of the Cherng Summer Scholars program?
Answer: Cherng Summer Scholars has been an amazing opportunity for me because it has allowed me to truly devote time to my research and make progress without worrying about getting another summer job. I have made so much uninterrupted progress this summer and have made so many new discoveries and connections through the class we take. I cannot recommend this program enough to Honors students who want to do research here over the summer.