How did you decide you wanted to major in biochemistry?

I knew I liked the sciences based on classes I took in high school, and when I got to Bates I fell in love with both the biology and chemistry departments. I liked the labs. Then chemistry professor Tom Wenzel asked if anyone wanted to work in his lab over the summer, and so I did for two summers. I really liked it.

In addition to lab work, you were also a teaching assistant for the Hughes Summer Scholars Program this past summer, correct?

Yes, that was very cool. I was impressed with the Hughes scholars' work. We weren't entirely sure what to expect because this was the first year for the program. The students were in class every day and then lab three days a week. It was intensive, and they handled it really well.

Grace Coulombe taught a math course, and you worked with Tom Wenzel in his forensics-based chemistry class. What was that like?

Students used five or six of the major analytical tools that we have at Bates. They used the technology to identify mystery samples and solve crime scenes in lab. In class we went over background chemistry for each lab and the techniques we were going to use. For example, we learned all about how the mass spectrometer works. After they analyzed their data they would write reports about it.

What's your advice for first-year students interested in a science major at Bates?

Meet with an advisor to discuss your scheduling plans early, and don't leave your requirements until the last minute. I didn't do this and ended up not taking physics when I should have. The way my schedule worked out I wasn't able to go abroad, which is my only regret about my time at Bates. It worked out though, because then I had the opportunity to work at Bates for two summers and get thesis work done.

In your thesis and summer lab work with Professor Wenzel, you've been exploring mirror-image molecules. Can you explain this research?

Basically, some molecules have a left-handed and a right-handed version, and the different versions sometimes have different effects. The distinctions are important primarily in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the left-handed version of a molecule may be an active, useful drug, but the right-handed version is inactive or even toxic. My research with Tom is about finding ways to distinguish the two types. We use a basket-shaped molecule, and depending on how a specimen molecule fits in the basket, we can determine whether it was the right-handed or left-handed version. For example, think about how your right foot fits better into your right shoe, but your left foot in your right shoe feels awkward.

How would you describe the relationships you've made through academics at Bates?

I've had classes with many of the same people my junior and senior years. I have study partners, and I know who I can ask if I need help. We've gotten to know each other very well. Everyone works together in the chemistry computer lab. When I'm there with other students doing the some kinds of work I do, it's comforting. We're like a big chemistry family.

-- by Erin Bond '09