Dublin City Exchange

Top (L to R); Dublin street; Library at Trinity College; Dr. Blánaid White, Riley, and Dr. James Landers; Bottom (L to R) Ana Barcenilla and Riley; Gates to Guinness Brewery; Cliffs of Moher.

Dublin City University Exchange

Riley Stegmaier’s Summer of Undergraduate Research in Ireland

The news of getting selected for the Dublin City University exchange program was one of the most exciting moments of my time here at KU. I had been looking forward to applying since I first heard about the program in Dr. Benson’s freshman seminar class. This seminar also introduced me to the work of Dr. Susan Lunte, who with her late husband Dr. Craig Lunte, has had long-term collaborations with DCU throughout the years. This strong spirit of collaboration is what inspired and kept this exchange program going throughout the years. The opportunity to spend the summer at a university abroad while tackling a research problem completely new to me was a life-changing one. Knowing that the experience was made possible through generous donations to the department, such as the John Shapley Award, makes me appreciate the experience even more. The generosity of these gifts allows students to have experiences like this while being able to fully focus on research and bettering themselves as scientists.

Working in the lab of Dr. Sue Lunte throughout my time at KU has been an amazing introduction to the world of microfluidics research. My time at DCU introduced me to centrifugal microfluidics, a concept completely new to me. Compact discs are cheaply and easily manufactured with microfluidic channels that can accomplish a variety of biological assays and other functions. Fluid is moved through these discs by spinning them at varying frequencies depending on the desired effect. This eliminates the need for pumps or

electroosmotic flow for bulk fluid flow. This ease of fabrication and use is ideal for use in point-of-care devices to make diagnostic testing cheaper and more accessible for all.

My work in the lab of Dr. David Kinahan focused on designing a heating block and housing components to carry out convective polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a disc. Working with Dr. Kinahan, an engineering professor, taught me 3D modeling, a skill new to me and one I believe will be useful throughout my career. With the help of Ana Barcenilla, a student of Télécom Physique Strasbourg, a complete mockup of the system was created. Future work of the project will be to manufacture the components and ensure the design is successful at maintaining the temperatures needed for PCR. The opportunity to spend a summer learning new skills while being in a global city like Dublin has boosted my confidence as a researcher and has left me with connections that I know I can rely on for the rest of my career. I hope all chemistry students recognize how this summer research abroad will change their life and consider applying for 2023! -Riley Stegmaier

John Shapley had to miss the awards ceremony at the last minute, so Riley poses with him “in spirit” with his award.