Chemistry major earns undergrad research experience at NC State through National Science Foundation

By Ian Wesselhoff

S enior chemistry major Jayden Kypri is spending his summer at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, after being accepted into a U.S. National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program there.

NSF REU programs give undergraduate students an average of 10 weeks of full-time mentored research experience, in a field of their choosing, at large research-intensive universities. Students are provided with a stipend to support them during the REU period.

Kypri's program at NC State's Wilson College of Textiles had 139 applicants, of which only seven were accepted.

"Anything with 'NSF REU' next to it on your resume in my field is a really good sign. It holds a lot of weight," Kypri said. "It's these kinds of experiences that propel you forward beyond other candidates in your field when you're applying for graduate schools."

In the Molecular Analytics and Photonics (MAP) Lab, Kypri is working with a class of dyes called boron-dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs), which are fluorescent dyes that help researchers visualize sub-cellular structures through the use of "super-resolution microscopy" - a technique that can help scientists see cellular components that normally look blurred with traditional microscope use.

The goal of his project at NC State is to use organic synthesis techniques, which he learned and developed at Georgia College, to create new BODIPY molecules that can be used in this high-resolution microscopy.

Kypri honed those techniques through his undergraduate his research at GCSU, which is focused on creating new anti-cancer compounds alongside faculty mentor Dr. Wathsala Medawala. Kypri says that GCSU's undergraduate research opportunities gave him a head start.

"The fact that I've presented at four conferences in the last couple years with my research - I feel like that kind of gave me a leg up against a lot of other applicants, because when I'm talking to my peers at UGA or even people at Kennesaw, they don't get the same kind of research experience," Kypri said. "You get these experiences here that push you ahead of other students, even at bigger universities."

Beyond the intensive research experience, Kypri has been making the most of his time in Raleigh. Over the past three years, Kypri played in GCSU's wind ensemble, and he brought his oboe with him to North Carolina "hoping to keep playing a little." Instead, he ended up joining the Raleigh Concert Band, playing in a concert at the North Carolina State Capitol on Independence Day.

"Fun stuff!" Kypri said.

Header Images: Senior Chemistry major Jayden Kypri has been working with fluorescent dyes called boron-dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) during his REU experience at NC State this summer. (Photos: Jayden Kypri)