June 03, 2025
Meghan O'Toole
Professor Karen Kirk publishes paper with eight student co-authors
Professor of Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Foster G. and Mary W. McGaw Professorship in the Life Sciences, Karen Kirk worked with eight undergraduate co-authors to examine how telomerase RNA (TER) is handled inside cells of the fungus, Aspergillus nidulans.
The article, "Trafficking of the telomerase RNA using a novel genetic approach," was published in Plos One.
By deleting the TER gene and using a genetic rescue method, Kirk's lab team discovered that TER remains in the nucleus during telomerase assembly, rather than being exported to the cytoplasm as in yeast.
"This was surprising because A. nidulans and yeast are both fungi, and we expected them to behave similarly," Kirk explained. "However, the nuclear retention of TER in A. nidulans is more similar to what is seen in humans and other vertebrates, suggesting an unknown functional resemblance between these organsims."
The student co-authors who participated in the research through various stages of the project have found that hands-on research experiences such as this not only deepened their understanding of scientific inquiry but also inspired and prepared them for successful, fulfilling careers in the sciences.
Student co-authors and where they are now
Jessica Day '22, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
Brett Palmero '20, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, has nearly completed his PhD in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences at Northwestern University and will be teaching at Lake Forest College for the 2025-26 academic year.
Amanda Allred '14, a neuroscience major, is now a Prenatal Genetic Counselor at University of Illinois at Chicago and moving to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center soon.
Graeme Witte '22, a biology major, is now a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Anna Sandler '20, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, earned her PharmD and is now a Pharmacist at Sinai Chicago.
Junya Li '18, a biology major, is in the Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Fatima Hooda '16, a biology major, is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and is now doing her Psychiatry Residency at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois.
Alexandra Dejneka '21, a neuroscience major, earned her MD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and now is an anesthesiology resident at Washington University School of Medicine.
Many of these alumni started their research careers in the Richter Scholar Summer Research Program, a program that provides students across disciplines with the opportunity to conduct independent, individual research with Lake Forest College faculty early in their academic careers.
"The Richter program is fantastic for getting students hands-on research experience early in their undergraduate careers," Kirk said. "Every one of the co-authors started as a Richter Scholar and stayed in my lab. Fortunately we have really great support for students, and they can get paid in the summer as lab researchers and gain firsthand experience."
Kirk, who will begin her sabbatical research this summer, will have six students working in her lab over the summer—several of whom plan to continue their projects throughout the academic year. Notably, Dawid Oleksy '26 is pursuing his senior thesis before heading to a dual degree program in pharmacy and law.