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If you are a Mount Holyoke student and are interested in joining the Berry Lab to collaborate and conduct undergraduate research, we would love to hear from you! Students receive academic credit for research during the school year and can be paid for summer research.
Students often join the lab in their second year at Mount Holyoke, but interested first years should certainly get in touch to share their interest, because there may be opportunities to learn more about research in the lab, and it is helpful to be in touch about interest in research sooner rather than later. If you are further along in your studies but think the lab is an especially good fit, please do get in touch.
Becuase Prof. Berry is a member of the MHC Chemistry Department, all students who are interested in doing research in the lab should apply through the department's centralized research application form. Applications will be reviewed twice a year, near the end of each semester. The next application deadline is April 11, 2022 to begin work in Fall 2022. It can also be very helpful to discuss current projects and opportunities in the lab. Interested students are encouraged to email Prof. Berry to set up a meeting time before or after submitting their application. Thanks!
The MHC Chem and Biochem Club put together a list of "interview" questions for faculty about their research labs. Here are my answers!
The MHC Chem and Biochem Club put together a list of "interview" questions for faculty about their research labs. Here are my answers!
1) How many projects do you currently have? Can you please briefly describe each of them?
All of the projects in the lab right now center around studying RNA-protein interactions involved in bacterial gene regulation. Students are helping to develop and utilize a “bacterial three-hybrid” assay which can detect RNA-protein interactions in vivo and can be used to screen for mutations that disrupt or strengthen the interaction, or even to screen for novel RNA-protein interactions that weren’t already known.
Examples of projects students are working on include:
Expanding the types of protein-RNA interactions we can detect in the assay and optimizing the assay (including the protein and RNAs components, and the bacterial reporter strain)
Screening for mutations in the bacterial RNA chaperone “Hfq” that alter its interactions with small RNAs and other cellular binding proteins (some of this is in collaboration with Biochem 314 lab)
When we find interesting mutations, we will analyze their effect on the thermodynamics and kinetics of sRNA binding in vitro and study their functional consequences in vivo.
Skills that students will learn in the Berry Lab include:
In vivo:
Molecular cloning;
Bacterial growth;
Design and implementation of in vivo beta-galactosidase assays;
Design and implementation of genetic screens.
In vitro:
Protein expression and purification;
RNA in vitro transcription and purification;
Protein and RNA Chemical Modification (including radiolabels or fluorophores);
Quantification of Protein-RNA interactions in vitro;
Fluorescence spectroscopy.
Extra:
Critical thinking;
Resourcefulness;
Teamwork;
Communication – oral and written;
Perseverance!
2) How many students do you have in your lab? What class are they?
Currently there are two seniors, three juniors and three sophomores in the lab. Four are returning after spending the summer in the lab, and four are starting out.
3) Are you recruiting students? For which projects?
Right now, I wouldn’t be recruiting to take new students until the Spring of 2018 at the earliest, but I welcome students to reach out with interest well before then; there may be opportunities to learn more about our lab and science, and it's good for your interest to be on my radar early.
4) What kinds of classes or qualifications should a student have if they want to join your lab?
Many of the students in my lab have taken / are taking MCB 230 (Cell and Molecular Biology) and are working through the organic sequence. I welcome students with interest to get started early in the lab so that they can participate for multiple years over the course of their time at MHC! So if you are a first year with a strong interest in Biochemistry and research, and find our research interesting, please feel free to reach out to me!
5) Can you please describe the culture of your lab?
The Berry Lab opened in the Fall of 2016, so we are a very young lab, and are all learning together how best to conduct assays and make the lab run smoothly. I personally think it's a fun and supportive environment, but you should talk to the students!
6) Do you have any advice for students who are looking to join your lab?
Ask questions. Early and often. Of yourself, of your PI, of your fellow students. The real skill that we develop in research is to be able to be reflective in assessing what we do and do not understand. I always welcome your questions and look forward to the many teaching moments that undergraduate research presents. It will; believe me! I believe strongly in approaching all challenges in life with a "Growth Mindset." Something new like research in a new lab will be hard at first; that doesn't mean you're not cut out for it. It just means you need more practice to refine your skills. My goal is for my students to become as independent as possible in designing and implementing experiments, and it is incredibly rewarding to watch students grow into this role with time and thought and practice.
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