Honors student research shapes future space missions

by Alyson Voigt, student writer

Harding’s distinguished faculty are dedicated to providing student research opportunities reserved for graduate students at many larger institutions. The University’s long relationship with NASA has supported on-campus research concerning the health of astronauts since the 1960s, and current students — led by Dr. Jaime Murphy, associate professor of chemistry — are studying long-term health effects that could be beneficial for NASA’s dreams to send man to Mars.

Murphy, associate professor of chemistry, celebrating her seventh year at Harding, has  taught courses in the Honors College since 2021 and has been a faculty fellow for the past two years. Murphy works with students on a project supported through the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium which began in 1991 and is funded through NASA to provide stipends for students and research equipment, totaling about $15,000. Three current students are working diligently on this project: Kaci Geer, a senior biochemistry major; Kylie Sicks, a senior cognitive neuroscience major; and Eva Rogers, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major.

Their work involves using the deoxyribose assay to assess antioxidant capabilities. This is relevant to long-term health protection for astronauts on long trips, such as missions to Mars. The project aims to identify two classes of molecules: polyphenols, which are known antioxidants, and thiols, or sulfur- and selenium-containing molecules.

The assay used in the project collaborates with Julia Brummegen from Clemson University, who adjusted an existing assay. Seniors Geer and Sicks will be presenting their senior capstone projects on this topic. Geer is conducting research on the antioxidant and pro-oxidant capabilities of polyphenols under oxidative stress conditions.

 She has enjoyed collaborating on this research, learning as a team and sharing their personal insights.

“I liked working with Kylie and Eva. I've kind of been able to mentor them through the research, so I've taught them everything I know,” Geer said. “It's been cool to find how I work in the lab and how comfortable it is because I want to be in the lab for my job.”

“It is pretty collaborative,” Sicks agrees. “We're all answering different questions, so we're using different antioxidants. While I'm using caffeic acid, Kaci used coronagenic acid, which did show some pro-oxidant effects.. “We're all working together to figure out the best way to reduce DNA damage, and trying to find an alternative to using EDTA, which is not ideal for an undergrad laboratory.”

Kylie Sicks’ part of the project is aimed at reducing metal-mediated DNA damage by using caffeic acid to oxidize hydroxyl radicals, preventing DNA mutations and potential diseases like cancer.

Murphy has been a mentor and a resource to the students as they do their research. Working on a research project as intense as this one, teamwork is an important value, and everyone has shown up to do their part.

“I think student research is incredibly important for Harding's campus,” Murphy said. “I work both with the chemistry and biochemistry department and with the Honors College. My grant, of course, is tied to opportunities for  honors research, which is incredibly important. Our students are doing honors capstone projects also, and I've gotten to do hands-on work with both of those…. I feel at home, of course, within the chemistry world, but on the honors side of things, I get to see it across disciplines. Students find an interest to stick their toes into, and then six months down the road, they're fully immersed in this topic and this project and enjoy what they're doing.”

To learn more about the history of NASA research at Harding, visit harding.edu/arts-science/space-research. Curious about the Honors College? Visit harding.edu/honors to learn more.