Hello everyone! My name is Sophia Colmenares (she/her), and I am a rising sophmore hoping to major in Chemical and Biological Engineering with certificates in Engineering Biology and Applications of Computing. On campus, I am involved with The Daily Princetonian and Engineers Without Borders. This summer, I was funded by OURSIP to serve as an OURSIP Program Assistant and intern with the Avalos Research Group where I metabolically engineered yeast strains!
So first things first: what is metabolic engineering? This innovative field is the science of altering the metabolism of microbes to produce industrially beneficial products in a more sustainable manner. My project under the Avalos Research Group at Princeton revolves around Saccharomyces cerevisiae (otherwise known as baker’s yeast!) and its ability to produce isobutanol, an advanced biofuel. My job was to computationally alter the isobutanol-producing pathway of S. cerevisiae in hopes to increase isobutanol production. On a day-to-day basis, I used a variety of different softwares such as Python, El-MAVEN, and MATLAB to compare the abundances of certain chemicals in order to better understand the pathway.
In addition to this project, I worked as a Program Assistant for the OURSIP/Rematch+ Summer Program at Princeton. I was in charge of organizing weekly online activities for participants with the goal of fostering community, encouraging holistic personal development and promoting health and wellness.
I really enjoyed my work with the Avalos Research Group; not only did I learn an array of quantitive research tools, but it was fascinating to realize that a common ingredient found in my very own kitchen could one day be used to create more environmental-friendly biofuels! After the program ended, I created a presentation video for FSI (Freshman Scholars Institute) students to share the wonders of research! Working with OURSIP as a Program Assistant was also a great experience where I got to connect with fellow Princeton researchers and learn how research is vital in service and civil engagement.
