Hobart and William Smith Colleges students, under the guidance of Professor Kristin Slade, are investigating the role of the enzyme malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in certain cancers. MDH is essential in the citric acid cycle, a key component of human metabolism, and its persistent activation has been linked to cancer.
This summer, students Camila Garcia ’24, Lina Hassini ’26, and Genevieve Larkin ’27 are creating and analyzing MDH mutants to study how the enzyme functions under various conditions. Their work focuses on the chemical switches that regulate MDH activity, offering insights into how different pH levels affect its metabolic role.
Lina Hassini, a pre-med biology major, emphasized the importance of applying classroom knowledge to real-world research, saying, “Understanding both the lab process and the underlying science is crucial for advancing my research.”
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