Highly motivated student with a desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and interpersonal skills. Excels at working efficiently and quickly grasping new laboratory skills.
High Point University SuRPS (2025-Present). Tardigrades, which can survive extreme conditions, are the motivation for the study of their unusually tough proteins. The Kean lab investigated an α-carbonic anhydride (HeCA) from Hypsibius exemplaris, recombinantly expressed in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography, with purity verified by SDS-PAGE. Enzyme function was assessed using a pH-based colorimetric assay, a CO₂ hydration assay, and a pNPA esterase assay to quantify catalytic activity. Metal-supplemented expression and heat-exposure experiments were used to determine metal preference and thermostability. These techniques show that HeCA is a functional, metal-responsive, and heat-tolerant enzyme with potential for carbon-capture and biomedical applications.