#BlackInChem & #BlackinBiological TAP IN!! My undergrad project was on a ubiquitin-like protein called UFM1 (ubiquitin fold modifier 1) from Leishmania donovani (Ld). Ld is a parasite that causes leishmaniasis. UFM1 is thought to be involved in a pathway called Ufm-ylation...

which if you're familiar with ubiqitination, the attachment of ubiquitin molecules to a target via enzymatic transfers, Ufm-ylation is thought to be a similar process just with UFMs!! The reason we are interested in the pathway is because it is thought to be vital for the

proliferation of leishmaniasis once a host is infected! I wanted ti study this pathway through a structural lens because structure = function. If we can get a clear picture of the structure of the protein ( UFM1) we could start to decode WHAT it does and HOW it does it!

I dabbled briefly in crystallography but girl... I still have love for it though
-Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and lemme just say, it turns out my protein is a DIVA but would you expect anything less?
I also got to do really fun fluorescence assays to

characterize the enzymatic activity in relation with my protein, the substrate. Anyways, I love this project! I love being a chemist and applying my knowledge in an interdisciplinary way to biological systems!