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The findings that biochemistry major Benjamin Arthur ’07 (Accra, Ghana) uncovered from his study on lipophilic pigments in snails will provide new information to biochemists throughout the world.
Arthur collaborated with Joseph Sherma, Larkin Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, and Bernard Fried, Kreider Professor Emeritus of Biology, through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
The opportunity to publish research in which he played an important role drew Arthur to the EXCEL program. The researchers’ results have been accepted for publication in Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies.
Arthur worked with Helisoma trivolvis and Biomphalaria galabrata snails, primary hosts for various parasites that infect humans. He studied the difference estivation has on beta carotene and lutein, two pigments important in electron transfer in snails’ metabolism. Estivation is a type of hibernation snails assume during drought and when there are shortages of food and water.
“Since [the snails’] life cycle and activities affect humans, it is important to know as much about them as possible including their survival skills,” he says. “The statistical results showed that the snails maintained their level of lutein and beta carotene when they underwent estivation, showing that estivation could not adversely affect their metabolic activity in terms of lutein and beta carotene content.”
Arthur plans to pursue an independent study project under the guidance of Sherma and Fried next school year.
“I like the fact that they allow you to become absorbed in the project,” he says.
Author of more than 600 research papers, books, and reviews, Sherma has spent much of his career advancing the fields of pesticide analysis and chromatography. A recipient of the 1995 American Chemical Society Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution sponsored by Research Corporation, Sherma has involved more than 150 different Lafayette students as coauthors for over 220 papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
Included in Who’s Who in America and once featured on the Discovery Channel, Fried is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of parasitology, with three organisms named in his honor. His research has led to important advances in the effort to conquer tropical diseases caused by parasitic flatworms. He often includes Lafayette students in his groundbreaking research.
Arthur’s work with Sherma and Fried not only confirmed his decision to major in biochemistry, it also brought together his classroom learning experiences with laboratory application.
“This project really helped me in many ways, not just acquiring skills, but also in setting personal goals and being disciplined,” he says.
Sherma adds that having intensive research experience as an undergraduate will be advantageous if Arthur decides to pursue an advanced degree.
“The EXCEL program is an unbelievable way of training and educating students,” he says. “Giving them the opportunity to get outside of the structured environment in a class and giving them ownership of their research, I think it’s the best learning experience we give them.”
Initially a chemical engineering major at Lafayette, Arthur changed his major to biochemistry for a more versatile approach to science.
“Lafayette provides an environment that’s helpful and healthy for my studies,” he says. “They give you the necessary tools that you need to succeed.”
Arthur is secretary of Lafayette African and Caribbean Students Association. He is a resident adviser, member of Africans Creating African Consciousness and Interest Abroad and International Students Association, and plays intramural volleyball. He also served an externship at Cintas Corporation, a uniform supply company. He is a graduate of Achimota School.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty students have been accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.