UAH RCEU program highlights students’ recent achievements

Huntsville, Ala. (October 17, 2012) —Students in The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s (UAHuntsville) Research and Creative Experiences for Undergraduates Program recently presented results of their research at the 43^rd International Symposium on Essential Oils in Lisbon, Portugal.

Dr. Bernhard Vogler associate professor of analytical and organic chemistry, and natural products has directed UAHuntsville’s Research and Creative Experiences for Undergraduates (RCEU) Program, for more than 10 years. Since that time, Vogler has provided students with valuable research experiences, which have culminated in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international scientific meetings.

The RCEU program is funded through the UAHuntsville President’s Office and Provost’s Office.  

UAHuntsville RCEU students presenting and publishing works are:

• Rachel M. Thompson, an RCEU undergraduate student was honored with one of six “Young Scientist Symposium Fellowship” Awards for her presentation “Essential oils do not inhibit Escherichia coli peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase,” based on Thompson’s RCEU work under the direction of Robert McFeeters, assistant professor and Hana McFeeters, research assistant professor.  Thompson’s fellowship is notable because the other recipients were either postdoctoral or Ph.D. students. Under the supervision of Dr. William Setzer, Thompson also presented a poster on the research project, “Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Hyssopus seravschanicus growing wild in Tajikistan.” Setzer serves as professor and chair of the UAHuntsville Chemistry Department. Both of Thompson’s works have been published in the peer-reviewed literature:

• “Inhibition of essential bacterial peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase activity by tropical plant extracts.”  McFeeters, H.; Gilbert, M.J.; Thompson, R.M.; Setzer, W.N.; Cruz-Vera, L.R.; McFeeters, R.L.  Natural Product Communications, 2012.

• “Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Hyssopus seravschanicus growing wild in Tajikistan.”  Sharopov, F.S.; Kukaniev, M.A.; Thompson, R.M.; Satyal, P.; Setzer, W.N.  Der Pharma Chemica, 2012.

• Chelsea D. Jones presented a poster on her RCEU project, “A chemical ecological investigation of the allelopathic potential of Lamium amplexicaule and Lamium purpureum”. 

•  “A chemical ecological investigation of the allelopathic potential of Lamium amplexicaule and Lamium purpureum,”  Jones, C.D.; Woods, K.E.; Setzer, W.N.  Open Journal of Ecology.

Also, Prabodh Satyal, a graduate chemistry student, was awarded a "Registration Fellowship."  He also presented two papers:



• “Synergistic biological activity and chemodiversity of Himalayan medicinal plants,” Prabodh Satyal and William N. Setzer.

“Chemical composition and biological activities of ten different species of the Asteraceae family from Nepal,”  Prabodh Satyal, Prajwal Paudel, Ambika Poudel, Katherine E. Woods, and William N. Setzer.


Additionally, two students Sarah M. Harris and Kimberli M. Helms presented research papers while in attendance at the International Congress on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in Cagliari, Italy.

• Sarah M. Harris presented her RCEU work, “Phytochemical Inhibitors of Peptidyl tRNA Hydrolase”, supervised by Robert McFeeters, assistant professor and Hana McFeeters, research assistant professor. 

•“Peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase screening combined with molecular docking reveals the antibiotic potential of Syzygium johnsonii bark extract.”  Harris, S.M.; McFeeters, H.; Ogungbe, I.V.; Cruz-Vera, L.R.; Setzer, W.N.; Jackes, B.R.; McFeeters, R.L.  Natural Product Communications, 2011.

• Kimberli M. Helms presented work based on her RCEU experience, “Vitexin Inhibits Diubiquitin Formation by the Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2-25K”, supervised by Pamela D. Twigg, research assistant professor. 

• “Vitexin inhibits polyubiquitin synthesis by the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2-25K.”  Helms, K.M.; Wilson, R.C.; Ogungbe, I.V.; Setzer, W.N.; Twigg, P.D.  Natural Product Communications, 2011.

You may also be interested in:

• UAHuntsville College of Science
• Getting a Degree in Science

For more information
Joyce Anderson-Maples(256)824-2101
maplesj@uah.edu