#67: Antimicrobial Innovation with Josie Bicknell ’24, Biology

Josie wrote a pharmaceutical development thesis about looking for a new way to develop antibiotics. She also tells us about her interest in biology and chemistry and looking for bridges between the disciplines, and how chemistry can be used to do things like examine snake poop to learn about snake evolution.

Reed community members can read Josie’s thesis, “A Codrug for Resistant Coinfection: The First Clinically Relevant Antimicrobial-Antiviral Ionic Cocrystal” online in the Electronic Theses Archive.

#36: Social Labs with Leila Shokat ’21, Anthropology

Leila spent a pandemic year remotely studying the members and activities of a lab that had quickly pivoted to study COVID-19 at the beginning the pandemic.

Reed community members can read Leila’s thesis, “In Our Hands: How Biologists Negotiate Unpredictability to Make and Share Knowledge,” online in the Electronic Theses Archive.

#21: Micro to Macro with Mahalia Dryak ’20, Environmental Studies

Frank Tangherlini ’22 talks to Mahalia about her thesis on microplastics, macroinvertebrates, and fresh water river systems in the Pacific Northwest. Reed’s Environmental Studies program is an interdisciplinary major which requires students to select a focus in one of five disciplines: biology, chemistry, economics, history, or political science.

Reed community members can read Mahalia’s thesis, “The Ubiquitous Pollutant: Measuring microplastics and ecosystem health along the Clackamas River, OR,” online in the Electronic Theses Archive.

#18: Tiny Machines with Kate Stoll ’04, Biochem and Molecular Biology

Kate Stoll ’04 reflects on her thesis work on ScaR proteins with Arthur Glasfeld, Margret Geselbracht Professor of Chemistry, and her fascination with proteins, the “tiny machines that do all the work in your body.” This was Frank’s first interview for the podcast and took place in-person in January 2020. Kate’s thesis title: “The DNA and metal ion specificity of ScaR, the Streptococcal cell adhesion protein regulator of ‘S. gordonii.'”

#9: DNA Investigations of Tiny Crustaceans with Nick Thayer ’20, Biology

Learn a bit about genomic sequencing and annotation of Daphnia magna (water fleas) with Nick as he talks about finding his thesis topic and advisor, and how he switched directions after the pandemic shutdown interrupted his lab work.

Reed community members can read Nick’s thesis online in the Electronic Theses Archive.