Alex Beam's Profile

Background:

I currently live in State College (as a 2nd generation Nittany Lion), though I am from Milton, West Virginia. I am a senior in Chemical Engineering, with aspirations of pursuing a career in medicine. I enjoy all things outdoors, particularly mountain biking and snowboarding.

Projects:

Under the direction of Dr. Curtis, I am conducting research on various strains of cyanobacteria, a photosynthetic bacteria commonly referred to as “blue-green algae”. Bioprospecting revealed a subset of cyanobacteria with an ability to produce virucidal glycoproteins, which bind to and inactivate HIV. For this reason, I am pursuing the development and optimization of platforms using cyanobacteria to generate topical antiviral medications.

Contact Information:

Email: alex.beam@curtislab.org