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While many third-year college students are just getting into core courses for their major areas of study, Marquis Scholar Karen Murray ’08 (Kingstowne, Va.) is publishing her undergraduate research.
Murray, who is pursuing B.S. degrees in neuroscience and biochemistry, recently published a paper she co-authored with Bernard Fried, Kreider Professor Emeritus of Biology, and Joseph Sherma, Larkin Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, entitled “High Performance Thin Layer Chromatographic Analysis of Neutral Lipids in the Feces of BALB/c Mice Infected with Echinostoma caproni” in Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies.
The article expands on the neutral lipid aspect of a larger project Murray conducted with biochemistry graduate Sharon Bandstra ’06. Murraypresented their work at the 38th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Hershey, Pa. last June. Their work compared the lipid content of mice infected with the parasitic flatworm Echinostoma caproni and uninfected mice.
“This research found a significant change in two metabolites studied,” explains Murray. “The other aspect of the project is about polar lipids and is being published separately in Acta Chromatographica this year.”
Her productive results have energized Murray to continue exploring the project further.
“It was exciting because it was determined that there seems to be metabolic marker in the neutral lipids, which opens new avenues for research of this parasite in the future,” she says.
The student credits her academic success to her mentors, with whom she’s worked on several projects through Lafayette’s independent study and EXCEL Scholars programs. In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, 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.
“LafayetteCollege provided me with great mentors to conduct this research,” she says. “Both Dr. Sherma and Dr. Fried are well-connected and are experts in their fields. I have learned many techniques by working with them that made me more prepared for classes I am taking and for the future.”
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.
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. His latest book on preparative layer chromatography was published last year.
After graduation, Murray plans to attend graduate school and believes her publications as an undergraduate author will give her an edge in the application process.
Murray is a resident adviser and is vice president of Lafayette Society for Neuroscience. She also is a member of Lafayette Christian Fellowship and Le Cercle Francais (French Club).
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like Murray receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Twenty-one students have been accepted to present their research at this year’s conference.