Effective Mentoring of Undergraduate and Graduate

Students

Carla Mattos

Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry

North Carolina State University

Outline

• Mentoring in the science – intellectual freedom with guidance

• Mentoring in networking and people skills1) Create a supportive and

collaborative lab environment – trust2) Managing life at the interface with

science - happy and fulfilled students will be the most productive in their research and learning.

Get the students involved• Take research project into the classroom

• Take the classroom into the laboratory

• Pair up postdocs and graduate students with the undergraduates.

• Encourage students to begin research their freshman year.

• Take students to regional and national meetings to present their work.

Create a team environment• Treat the students as important and serious

contributors to the research program• Make sure the students feel “ownership” of

the project: they are involved in it for themselves, not for the PI

• Keep the task at a level where the students can succeed given a genuine effort

• Provide individual support either directly by the PI or by involving graduate students and post-docs

Minimize barriers between different stages in the academic ladder

• Make sure that the people involved in mentoring are motivated and excited by the research project.

• Share the “big picture” with the students.

• Have project group meetings including all members of the team: PI, post-docs, graduates students and undergraduates

CAREER: Probing protein surfaces using multiple solvent

crystal structures

Carla MattosNorth Carolina State University

Uses organic solvents to:

• Locate and characterize protein binding sites.

• Probe plasticity in protein structure.

• Study hydration patterns

The Multiple Solvent Crystal

Structures Method: MSCS

• Solve crystal structure of protein in aqueous solution.

• Crosslink native crystals with gluteraldehyde: solve the structure of the crosslinked protein.

• Soak crosslinked crystals in organic solvents: solve structure of protein in different solvents.

• Superimpose the crystal structures and analyze the results.

Mattos & Ringe, Nature Biotechnology 14, pp 595-599 (1996)

MSCS

Multiple Solvent Crystal Structures of Elastase

Mattos et al., Journal of Molecular Biology (2005)

The five model proteinsProtein Source Resoluti

onin aqueous solution

Crystals

Mattos lab

Data for cross-linked

crystals

X-ray data on at least one solvent

Ras Human, expressed in E. coli

 1.5 A

 Yes

 Yes

 Yes

Lysozyme Hen egg white, Sigma Chemical, Co.

 1.3 A

 Yes

 Yes

 Yes

Calmodulin

Human, expressed in E. coli

 1.2 A

 Yes

 Not tested

 Not tested

RNAse A Bovine, Sigma Chemical, Co.

 1.5 A

 Not

tested

 Not tested

 Not tested

Chymotrypsin

Worthington Biochemicals, Co.

 1.6 A

 Not tested

 Not tested

Yes, Yennawar et al, 1994

 

Year of funding

Spring Summer Fall

0 (2002) Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms: develop new course

Data collection for MSCS of Ras

Data collection for MSCS of Ras

1 (2003) Macromolecular Modeling: refinement of the MSCS of Ras

Write paper on MSCS of Ras. Data collection for MSCS of Lysozyme

Submit Ras paper for publication. Data collection for MSCS of Lysozyme

2 (2004) Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms: refinement of the MSCS of Lysozyme

Write paper on MSCS of Lysozyme. Data collection for MSCS of calmodulin

Submit Lysozyme paper for publication. Data collection for MSCS of calmodulin

3 (2005) Macromolecular Modeling: refinement of the MSCS of calmodulin

Write paper on MSCS of calmodulin. Data collection for MSCS of RNAse A

Submit calmodulin paper for publication. Data collection for MSCS of RNAse A

4 (2006) Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms: refinement of the MSCS of RNAse A

Write paper on the MSCS of RNAse A. Data collection for MSCS of chymotrypsin.

Submit RNase A paper for publication. Data collection for MSCS of chymotrypsin.

5 (2007) Macromolecular Modeling: refinement of the MSCS of chymotrypsin

Write paper on the MSCS of chymotrypsin and a review of binding surfaces of proteins studied by MSCS and other methods.

Submit papers and finish the proposed project. Prepare one or more data sets from one of the lab projects to continue research in the classroom.

OH

N H

O

CF3 OH

OH

OH

OH OH

OH O O

OHH

HO O

OHH

H

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

Organic solvents

Two additional conditions: aqueous mother liquor and cross-linked, making a total of 10 crystal structures for each protein.

MSCS of Ras – data sets collected at SER-CAT

Organic Solvent / ResolutionNeat hexane 1.3 ÅNeat cyclopentanol 1.4 Å50 % isopropanol 1.7 Å50 % dimethylformamide 1.7 Å50 % 2,2,2 trifluroethanol 1.9 Å60 % 1,6 hexanediol 1.7 Å70 % Glycerol 1.6 Å90 % R,S,R bisfuran alcohol 1.5Å20% S,R,S bisfuran alcohol 1.6ÅCrosslinked in aqueous sol 1.7 Å

Ras in neat hexane

People Skills – unspoken undercurrents- Preach by example – you are a role model for your students- Genuine enthusiasm is contagious- Understand cultural background and differences between lab members – encourage communication- Be sensitive and knowledgeable about issues of gender, class, race – set high expectation for everyone but reach out to each student in the particular way that is needed in order for the individual to succeed.- Recognition is one of the most powerful stimulators of ambition and drive for success – give positive feedback as often as opportunity warrants, including along with constructive criticism; acknowledge your students publicly for their contribution.

References

1) The End of Education: Redefining the value of school – Neil Postman (1995)

2) Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom – bell hooks (1994)

3) This fine place so far from home: voices of academics from the working class – CL Barney Dews and Carolyn Leste Law (Edts) (1995)

4) Necessary Dreams: Ambition in Women’s Changing Lives – Anna Fells (2004)

Mattos group meeting 2004