Organic Chemistry Students Borrow from the Kitchen to Conduct Independent Research
Complex and delicious aromas wafted through the second floor of WNMU Harlan Hall on a recent Monday afternoon. But the seven students in Associate Professor Shiva Kyasa’s organic chemistry laboratory were not cooking up dinner; instead, they were working to identify the molecular composition of a variety of spices. Kyasa described the project as a “Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience” (CURE). The project is one of five at WNMU that is being sponsored by the NM IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence this year. At the beginning of the course, each student chose a spice that would be the focus of their research throughout the semester. The assignment was succinct but in no way simple: to identify the molecules that make the spice unique. “Many people know that foods have carbohydrates and proteins and fatty acids, but food is not just those three things,” said Kyasa, “There are organic molecules. Any time you smell some aroma, it is not from...