Summer Research Fellow Spotlight Humza Anwar
The purpose of my project is to address the structural and catalytic function of a novel Phosphoglucan, water-dikinase (PWD). The enzyme PWD is a necessary enzyme in the metabolism of starch, but its mechanism and regulation are unknown. My research will contribute to knowledge in the field by providing novel insight into PWD’s overall function and its specific modification of carbohydrates while advancing our ability to modify/engineer the function of this critical class of enzymes as a means of improving biofuel production.
Q: How did you first get interested in undergraduate research at UK?
A: "My sister recommended it to me and I talked with my research mentor about it and decided to apply."
Q: How long have you been engaged in undergraduate research?
A: "I've been doing undergraduate research since 2019 at the start of my freshman year."
Q: Describe what a typical day of remote summer research activity looks like for you. How does this differ from your pre-COVID research activity?
A: "A typical day of remote summer research looks like using different platforms to identify the subsections of phosphoglucan-water-dikinase using tools such as the Phyre2 engine to predict protein structure and using the blast database to identify similar proteins to phosphoglucan-water-dikinase. In addition, it also involves reading different pre-existing publications to build up knowledge on what's known about this enzyme. This differs from pre-COVID research as it does not involve the expression and purification of proteins with crystallization trials that I was doing previously."
Q: What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?
A: "The most exciting part of my research so far is identifying the different domains of the enzyme I'm studying. It's fascinating to identify and describe the domains a protein and seeking to understand their functions."
Q: What advice would you give to other UK students thinking about doing research?
A: "The advice I would give to other UK students thinking about doing research would be to research something you are passionate about and not be afraid to fail. Research in my experience has been a collaborative effort, and I've built a lot of independence as a result of great mentorship. I definitely think students of all majors can benefit from doing research."
The UK Office of Undergraduate Research's Summer Research and Creativity Fellowship program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study in a wide variety of disciplines while doing intensive and self-directed research or creative work under the supervision of a faculty mentor.