IMPACT

For billions of years, all life on Earth, from tadpoles to humans, have relied on the same 20 amino acids to build proteins — the fundamental building blocks of life. But what if that list of fundamental amino acids was expanded to include any chemical ability of our choosing? What new potential could be unlocked?

Six years ago, Bereket Berhanu arrived in the United States knowing two words in English: ‘No’ and ‘Yes.’ This June, Berhanu will be graduating with a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, along with two minors.

Rebekka Toyoizumi has always admired the big questions that science has to offer. A graduating biochemistry and biophysics major at Oregon State, she spent six months throughout summer and fall 2023 terms at OSU exploring those questions through an experiential internship. She is excited to continue this work for the multinational biotech and biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, in Maryland following graduation.

The College of Science is hosting the inaugural research showcase on Tuesday, May 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oregon State Memorial Union Room 13.

To take science from a nebulous image to an understandable craft, honors biochemistry major AJ Damiana turns to art. Now a Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts fellow, her ambitions have never been closer to reach.

The annual Health Professions Fair will take place on April 23, 2024 from 10:00am–2:00pm at the OSU Dixon Recreation Center Lower Gym.

Like many college students, Lexie Swisher confronted a difficult choice concerning her time: find
a job on campus to afford rent or participate in undergraduate research. Thanks to an unwavering commitment made by college leadership and generous donors, Swisher secured financial support from Launching Undergraduate Research Experiences, or LURE, a groundbreaking program that pays students while they gain invaluable research experiences during the academic year.

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 29 to recognize and celebrate our high achieving faculty and staff at the 2024 Combined Awards Ceremony.

The following faculty and staff received awards in the category of research.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

Kyle Ireton (Biochemistry & Biophysics, ‘12) has unconventional advice for students following in his footsteps: Don't follow him.

The College of Science community recently gathered to celebrate this year’s Alumni Award recipients. These alumni distinguished themselves through their groundbreaking research, strong leadership and efforts to enhance equity, access and inclusion.

The remnants of ancient bacteria live inside each of us as mitochondria, structures in cells that are critical for life. Breakthrough work from Simon Johnson, B.S. biochemistry and biophysics ‘09, and his lab has shed new light on how dysfunction of mitochondria causes human disease. For his great strides towards a cure for mitochondrial diseases within a decade since his last degree, Johnson has received the 2023 Young Alumni Award in the College of Science.

Biochemistry & biophysics Ph.D. student Sarah Louie has been selected as this year's Mathews Fellow. Louie is working with Professor Rick Cooley of the Center for Genetic Code Expansion.