BME Undergrad’s Interdisciplinary Research Interests Take Him in New Directions

Darren Wang - the URECA researcher of the month for February - is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering (BME) with a minor in chemistry. In Spring 2023, he joined the research group of Benjamin Martin, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, whose lab uses zebrafish to study vertebrate development.

Wang went on to develop, propose and work on a project of his own - a novel microheater system for spatiotemporally controlling heat-shock inducible gene expression in developing zebrafish embryos called the BOOPTHAT - with the support of a URECA summer research grant. This work led to a first-author methods manuscript available on bioRxiv, poster presentations at URECA symposia and an oral presentation at the Developmental Biology New York conference, where he received a "best talk" award.

In addition, Wang's burgeoning interest in optogenetics led him to contact Andrew Woolley at the University of Toronto to propose a novel optogenetic transcription system actuated by two wavelengths of light, thereby improving the spatial resolution of transgene activation.

To support this project, Wang was awarded a MITACS Globalink grant, which allowed him to spend last summer in Toronto working and developing the project. While there, he collaborated with University of Toronto Professor Mohammed Mojahedi on the idea of using holography for achieving improved spatiotemporal control. Wang is continuing to work on these projects and, together with Martin, is involved in a collaborative New Frontiers in Research Fund proposal for future implementation of the holography project in the zebrafish model.

This semester, Wang is working with Benjamin Levine, IACS endowed professor of chemistry, gaining experience in a theoretical chemistry lab, where he will explore excited-state chemical reaction dynamics in strong laser fields. He is also working on his BME Senior Capstone team project on "Modular dynamic pressure redistribution platform for bedsore prevention and sleep quality improvement."

Wang is applying to graduate programs and plans to pursue a PhD in biophysics following graduation.

Read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan.