Summer 2025 ARO–AEOP Internships in the Lab
This August and September we wrapped up another successful summer hosting Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) interns through our DOD–ARO funded project: “Structural Biology of Aciniform Spider Silk Guides Biomimetics for a New Class of Biomaterials”.
We were fortunate to work with a talented group of students:
• Undergraduate participants: Fatimah Ali and Alexa Flores
• High school participants: Jamie Carter and Jaden Ma
Throughout the summer, students gained authentic hands-on experience in biochemistry and structural biology of spider silk. Their work included:
• Caring for Argiope spiders and collecting prey-wrapping silk under isotope-labeled diets.
• Preparing samples for solid-state NMR (SSNMR) to investigate secondary structure in fibers.
• Using solution NMR to characterize the soluble protein dope prior to fiber formation.
• Exploring computational tools such as AlphaFold structure prediction and molecular dynamics simulations to interpret their data .
The program was supported by close mentorship:
• Dr. Kevin Chalek (Postdoctoral Researcher) guided both undergraduate and high school students in isotope labeling, SSNMR sample preparation, and structural modeling.
• Dr. David Onofrei (Research Scientist) worked with the undergraduates on solution NMR and complementary biophysical studies.
Our interns also developed skills in scientific communication, preparing lab reports, presenting in weekly group meetings, and engaging with the broader SDSU research community.
We are grateful to Fatimah, Alexa, Jamie, and Jaden for their enthusiasm and dedication this summer, and to the AEOP program for supporting this opportunity. We look forward to seeing where their paths in science lead next!
