Undergraduate Research: Marten Lab, UMBC

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:52:56 -0400
internship, research, student-highlight, summer-2023, ug, ugrad

Matthew Quintanilla,

‘27 chemical engineering - biotechnology & bioengineering track

When did you do your Internship?

I started in June 2022 as a high school student at Broadneck High School and I am continuing the research as I begin my undergraduate studies at UMBC.

Where does your Research take place?

Marten Lab, Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, UMBC

What is the focus of your Research?

I primarily focused on screening the entire kinase knockout library to find out more about their respective kinases' involvement with the cell wall biosynthesis and repair.

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research?

I am looking forward to the 3-D printing aspect of my internship, meeting a lot of new people, and living in a new area of the country.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

My favorite part of my research experience directly led to my biggest learning moment throughout my research experience. I most enjoyed organizing, processing, and interpreting my data before sharing it with others. While preparing my data, I had to consider what was important to stress to others in order to create an engaging presentation. By identifying those key features in trying to articulate ideas, new ideas and conclusions were made clear to me. I find that stage so satisfying and formative because I was able to find new meaning in the research I did that guided my future efforts.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

It is crucial for everyone with a future in science to challenge their own thinking; either with in-depth, difficult content, or with unfamiliar content. I implore others to step into areas with the intention to do that.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

I am not yet involved in any clubs or organizations on campus.

What are your goals after graduation?

I would like to attain a PhD in biochemical engineering

Learn more about Matthew Quintanilla:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-quintanilla-101651260/