Groundbreaking cell research lands biology student and chemistry professor in the journal Science
December 10, 2015
UW-Whitewater biology major Larry Williams in a laboratory in Upham Hall, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015.
Photo by Craig Schreiner.
One of the most prestigious science journals in the world published an article today co-authored by a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and a faculty member.
Larry Williams, a biology major from Milwaukee, and Christopher Veldkamp, associate professor of chemistry, were part of an international collaboration involving research on immune cells and how they move within the body.
The study, "Polysialylation controls dendritic cell trafficking by regulating chemokine recognition," appears in the online edition of Science and will later be published in the print edition.
Founded in 1880 by Thomas Edison, Science is the largest peer-reviewed science journal in the world, with one million readers. Only about seven percent of submitted research papers are accepted for publication.
"Most scientists dream of getting published in Science, and your average scientist would be extremely thrilled to be published in Science just once," Veldkamp said. "This is a really big deal for the researchers that contributed to this work as UW-Whitewater undergraduates."
The research endeavor was lead by Michael Sixt, professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, and also included researchers from Australia, Germany and the United States. The UW-Whitewater team contributed to the research using a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance to analyze the chemokines being studied. Chemokines are important proteins that help regulate the body's immune system. Veldkamp says the new knowledge provides a better understanding of the immune system and potentially has therapeutic relevance, particularly for the treatment of cancer metastasis.
Associate professor of chemistry Christopher Veldkamp, right, and chemistry major Andrew Phillips work together in Veldkamp's lab on Monday, March 31, 2014. Photo by Craig Schreiner.
For students like Williams — who was recently admitted to the pre-pharmacy program at Concordia University in Mequon, which provides a more direct track towards a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree — working on this international collaboration has opened doors for his career.
"This is my first research project as an undergraduate, and I'm honored to contribute to this important work," he said. "The atmosphere here at UW-Whitewater is a supportive one, and I've learned a great deal about following research protocol and about resilience."
Alumni Gary Chaffee and Andrew Phillips, who majored in chemistry and graduated from UW-Whitewater in May, are also co-authors on the paper. Chaffee now works as an associate production scientist for Sigma-Aldrich, a Fortune 1000 company, and Phillips is pursuing a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.