Kayla Cerri β21 presents 'sea lettuce' research to American Chemical Society

Kayla Cerri (Biochemistry, β21) and faculty mentor Amy Deveau, Ph.D. professor of chemistry in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, recently attended the virtual American Chemical Society National Meeting, which took place from April 5Β to 16.
On April 10, Cerri presented a virtual poster titled βExtraction, Characterization and Analysis of Bioactives from Maine Ulva lactucaβ in the undergraduate research symposium.
According to the study, Maine Ulva lactuca β also known as βsea lettuceβ β is an underexplored source of marine natural products. The study found that the composition of organic extracts from Maine Ulva lactuca differ from Floridian Ulva lactuca when the same extraction protocol was used. Data suggest that exogenous factors, such as environmental variables, may then influence the antimicrobial compounds produced by the algae, the researchers said.
In addition to Deveau, Amber Cusson, B.S. β18 (Biochemistry), M.S. β20 (Biological Sciences), and collaborators Angela Myracle, Ph.D., visiting research professor in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and Kristin Burkholder, Ph.D., associate professor of biology in the School of Biological Sciences, contributed to the work.
Cerriβs research, conducted over the past two calendar year, was funded by 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs SURE program in summer 2019 and, in part, by National Science Foundation Grant #1355457 and the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν Office of Research and Scholarshipβs Faculty Minigrant program.
Cerri is a leader-scholar, serving as president of the Chemistry Club, a member of the CAS Deanβs Student Leadership Advisory Council, and as a mentor to chemistry and biochemistry majors.