COBRE Student Research Spotlight

Undergraduate Researchers Present Work at 91¸£Àû Student Symposium

Undergraduate researchers mentored by COBRE-affiliated faculty presented their work at the University of Maine Student Symposium this spring, highlighting research across virology, inflammation, and infectious disease biology. Through hands-on laboratory experience, students are contributing to ongoing biomedical research while developing technical and analytical skills that support future careers in science and healthcare.

Sydney Frazier

Sydney Frazier is conducting research in the Maginnis Laboratory focused on understanding how JC Polyomavirus interacts with the histamine H1 receptor and the role the receptor may play in viral infection. Her work explores how antihistamine drugs such as doxepin may help inhibit infection pathways associated with the virus.

Frazier joined the project after it was already underway and now spends approximately 8–10 hours each week conducting research in the lab. Her responsibilities include infecting and staining cells, imaging samples, and evaluating how different cell lines respond to treatment. One of the most rewarding moments in her research came after overcoming early experimental setbacks and observing consistent inhibitory effects against the virus across multiple cell lines.

She credits graduate student Kris Kelly and Dr. Melissa Maginnis for their mentorship and support throughout the research process. Research in the Maginnis Laboratory aims to better understand viral entry mechanisms that could eventually help guide therapeutic development for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), a fatal disease caused by JC Polyomavirus that currently has no approved antiviral treatment.

Fiona Johnson

Biochemistry, Class of 2028
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Benjamin King
Research Project: Determining How pak1 Reduces Hyperinflammation Caused by Influenza Infection

Fiona Johnson’s research in the King Laboratory focuses on a gene known as pak1, which plays a role in the inflammatory response in zebrafish and has a human ortholog connected to immune signaling pathways. Her project investigates why inhibiting the gene appears to reduce hyperinflammation and increase lifespan in zebrafish infected with influenza.

Johnson spends approximately 5–6 hours each week conducting research, including collecting zebrafish embryos, performing microinjections with influenza virus, extracting RNA, and analyzing gene expression using qPCR techniques. She was drawn to the project because it allows her to think creatively about how genes influence inflammation and immune responses.

Looking ahead, Johnson hopes to expand the project through confocal imaging and potentially develop a mutant zebrafish line with the pak1 gene knocked out. She also hopes the research may contribute to future approaches for reducing harmful inflammatory responses associated with influenza infection in humans. Johnson credits Dr. Benjamin King for his mentorship and guidance throughout her research experience.