Students who participate in research
- improve their laboratory skills and learn additional techniques
- work one to one (the best possible student:faculy ratio) with an experienced researcher
- engage in the process by which scientist add to our body of knowledge
- explore new career options and/or
- gain experience to further their career goals
- boost their self-confidence
Fall 2006 Update on the Botanicals Project
Presentations
K. Hale and M. Davies, Investigation of Green Tea by High Performance Liquid Chromatography,
Emporia State University 5th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Day, Emporia, KS 27 April 2006.
(poster presentation).
M. Davies and N. Brandenburg, Investigation of the In Vitro Metabolism of EGCG and
Acetaminophen by Rat Liver Microsomes, 40th Midwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society,
Joplin, MO 26-28 October 2005 (poster presentation). Travel funds provided by the Depatments of Physical
Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School
During the 2005-2006 academic year, three students worked on parts of the Botanicals Project. Kelley Hale
worked to determine the concentration of several catechins and caffeine in various brands of green tea. Her poster
at the Undergraduate Research and Creativity Day earned Kelley an award from Sigma Xi for an outstanding
poster in science and mathematics. Maggie Powers and Natalie Browning each completed their undergraduate research
experience requirement with studies of green tea supplements.
An ESU Faculty Research and Creativity Grant is funding supplies and wages for an undergraduate
researcher. Nikki Brandanberg and I will be conduting experiments with some active
components of green tea. Initially, we will set set up a liquid chromatography method to separate
the compounds in green tea and green tea extracts. We will then determine the concentration of
selected components in various commercial green teas and green tea extract preparations. In vitro
metabolism studies are also part of this project. Learn more about this and
related research below.
Research Plans
My research interests include optimizing sample collection / preparations techniques
for analytes of biological interest and developing methods for analyzing a broad range
compounds. These analytes include endogenous (normally found in or produced by the organism)
and exogenous (introduced from outside the body) compounds. The compounds will be of
physiological, clinical, pharmaceutical and/or environment interest
In addition to conducting research as a student, I have experience directing research
projects carried out by professional chemists, post doctoral associates, graduate and
undergraduate students. If you are interested in more details about my research and experience
follow the "Research Interests and Experience" link at the bottom of this page.
- Studies of botanicals and herbal preparations
- BACKGROUND: Although the medicinal use of plants dates back to antiquity, the efficacy,
safety, metabolic pathways and possible interactions with other drugs have
not been well studied. The recent popularization of herbal preparations as
dietary supplements and the fact that they are not currently subject to FDA
approval makes the need for quality scientific (controlled) investigations very
important.
- INITIAL STEPS: Working with commercial preparations, this project will develop analytical
methods to profile herbal preparation components using GC-MS and/or LC methods.
The analytical methods will be used to compare different commercial preparation
and to assess agreement between quantitive results in the lab and product
label information.
- FURTHER STUDIES: In vitro techniques such as tissue homogenates and microsome preparations are
widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to screen potential new drug
compounds for toxicity and metabolism. After the analytical methods have been developed,
they will be uesd with in vitro techniques to screen for interactions between
herbal preparations and prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Microdialysis or
ultrafiltration would be appropriate sampling techniques for this project.
- BENEFITS TO STUDENT RESEARCHERS: Students will use gas and/or liquid chromatoragy
(arguably the most widely used separation techniques in chemistry today). They will
be involved in developing analytical methods with these techniques. They may also
gain experience with in vitro screening methods (commonly used in the pharmaceutical
industry) and membrane sampling techniques.
- CONTACT: Dr. Davies about participating in this project
- Monitoring pharmaceuticals in water supplies
- BACKGROUND: Rresidual drug concentration in water supplies have recently become a concern.
Large proportions of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are excreted unchanged.
Since they resist biological degradation, they may persist even in treated waste water thus
entering environmental waters and posing a possible hazard. Some studies have been conducted
to identify and monitor pharmaceuticals in water supplies. The concentrations expected are very
low so sample pre-concentration techniques will be used. The ESU Chemistry Department has a long
standing involvement in environmental analysis which makes research related to monitoring
pharmaceuticals in the Emporia area water supplies complementary to existing research endeavors.
- INITIAL STEPS: Since the specific compounds present will initially be unknown, qualitative as
well as quantitative analytical methods will be involved. As mentioned above, sample pre-concentration
will be needed. Solid phase extraction (SPE) can be used to pre-concentrate potential analytes and to
separate them into broad groups such as acidic and basic compounds. Available literature will be
considered to provide a list of drugs most likely to be present. Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry
(GC-MS) is an appropriate technique for qualitative determinations of the samples.
- FURTHER STUDIES: After the most likely analytes have been identified, GC-MS alone or in combination
with liquid chromatography (LC) will be used for the routine monitoring of the drugs in water supplies.
- BENEFITS TO STUDENT RESEARCHERS: Students participating in this project will gain experience with
three techniques widely used by laboratories that carry out environmental, pharmaceutical or clinical
analyses: chromatography, mass spectroscopy and solid phase extraction.
- CONTACT: Dr. Davies about participating in this project