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FEATURES
April 19, 2013
Grant Murphy gives captivating presentation on protein engineering, synthetic biology
“BOOTSTRAPPING
EVOLUTION USING PROTEIN
ENGINEERING & SYNTHETIC
BIOLOGY” PRESENTATION
ENRAPTURES STUDENTS
BY CHRITIANNA VAN DALSEN
SwfWwter
What do you think of when you hear
protein engineering? Do you imagine
strange laboratory experiments creating
man-made life forms or reconstructing the
genetic makeup of creatures? How about
synthetic biology? Perhaps you picture a
mock ecosystem, where scientists test the
likelihood of human survival on Mars.
While these words may sound like
something out of a science fiction novel, they
are certainly not fiction. Protein engineering
and synthetic biology are very real and
influential strategies that researchers,
businessmen and political figures have
recognized as applicable and effective for the
progression of biotechnology.
"It is an interesting topic that a lot of
people are involved in," said early college
junior Emerson Santiago. "Fd heard about it,
but I didn't really understand it before."
It is not easy to take these complex
processes and present them in a way that is
both entertaining and informative for non
science majors, but a presentation on April
9, as part of the Science and Math Division
Speaker Series, made the topic easily
enjoyable and understandable for Guilford
students.
The exhibition was alluringly titled
"Bootstrapping Evolution Using Protein
Engineering and Synthetic Biology," and was
presented by Grant Murphy '05. Murphy
double- majored in biology and chemistry.
After Guilford, Murphy received his Ph.D,
from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and now works as a postdoctoral
fellow and lecturer at Princeton University's
Hecht Lab.
"Grant Murphy ... gave a fascinating
and impressive presentation on protein
engineering," said Professor of Biology Lynn
Moseley.
Murphy uses protein engineering and
synthetic biology in his research to substitute
bacterium genes with proteins engineered
from computational modeling.
"His talk about computer simulations of
how proteins fold was really enjoyable,"
said senior Eric Barnett. 'They use a system
where they connect a protein to thousands
and thousands of computers to do a bunch
of folding all at the same time. They also
have this program that they've designed
and refined over the years to predict protein
structure."
Murphy described how predicting protein
structure could be used to engineer the
metabolism of various species like algae,
yeast and bacteria to create fuels that are
photosynthetic or carbon-based.
"Synthetic biology combines the
experimental techniques and functional
components ... of molecular biology,
chemistry and physics with the ... design
principles of engineering," simplified
Murphy in an email interview. "Using
synthetic biology, we can build simplified
model systems to improve our understanding
of natural biological systems. However,
the true significance of synthetic biology
is in its ability to generate new biological
systems ... systems not developed by natural
evolution."
There is no way to ignore the fact that this
extraordinary research has taken biology
engineering to the next level, but it can still
improve with help from all of us.
"Protein engineering and synthetic
biology are both young fields with lots of
room for growth and with the ability to tackle
big problems like global food supply, fuel
availability, clean fuel and the development
of new therapeutics," said Murphy. "We
need scientists and nonsdentists to take an
interest in emerging fields like synthetic
biology."
Today^s top cover artists: go ahead, judge them by their covers
BY RISHAB REVANKAR
STAfFWfUrm
For the most part, YouTube cover artists are just like you
and me. Besides the fact that they wear a lot more makeup,
what sets them apart from us is that they attract listeners by
the millions.
The Guilfordian recently interviewed three YouTube
talents who have made their mark by recreating popular
music: a 10-year-old Internet sensation from Atlanta, Ga., a
world famous singer from Leeds, U.K., and an independent
singer at the frontline of the industry.
Matthew Morris (YouTube Channel:
MattyBRaps)
"I do not think of myself as famous," MattyB told The
Guilfordian.
At only 10 years of age, MattyB has accumulated 500
million views on YouTube, performed on the Today Show,
and appeared in multiple Disney commerdals.
MattyB is not famous; he is a child prodigy and an Internet
sensation.
At the age of seven, MattyB kicked off his musical career
with a creative cover of "Eenie Meenie" by Justin Bieber.
"I always watched my big cousin record and shoot,"
MattyB said. "I kept bugging him to give me a chance. He
did, and the video went viral."
His recent version of another Bieber hit song, "Boyfriend,"
attracted more than 60 million views.
"The song had a laid back rap and a falsetto hook," said
MattyB. "The combination was a surprise, and the video
spread to millions of fans."
Outside of singing and rapping, MattyB considers himself
an ordinary third grader and prides himself in the Morris
family tradition.
"My family teaches me that no matter what you achieve,
you have to credit God for your success and stay grounded,"
said MattyB. "I love my friends at school and baseball team,
J and I do not want that to change."
Beth Wale (YouTube Channel: BethOfficial)
From the outskirts of Leeds, U.K., Beth had no intention
of becoming a world famous cover artist. Before the age of
17, her singing career consisted of music lessons and talent
show performances. In 2011, she released her first YouTube
cover, "Someone Like You" by Adele.
"When I uploaded my first video, I had no idea what
would happen," Beth told The Guilfordian. "I really, really
didn't expect the amazing support from fans."
The cover song created ripples around the world. In
2011, Beth became the most popular unsigned artist on U.S.
Spotify.
Simple, yet uniquely captivating, her music videos depict
a close-up shot of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed teenager and
her microphone.
Beth's vocal music echoes a similar spirit.
"I hope that (people) will see something unique in me,"
said Beth. "I have really established a niche by slowing down
dance tracks."
With more than 5 million views on YouTube, Beth's cover
of "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia is the
most viewed cover of the song.
"The fact that I absolutely love singing that song really
reflects through the vocals," said Beth. "It has made a dance
track into a heartfelt ballad."
Tyler Ward (YouTube Channel:
TylerWardMusic) »
Recently rated a top five cover artist by OC Weekly, Ward
had little interest in music early on. After high school, he
embarked on a football career at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Preparatory School.
Unsatisfied with that lifestyle. Ward left the academy and
began recording music in his parents' basement.
Since then, he has captured the spotlight with his
impassioned voice and trademark acoustic guitar.
"I think I stand out because I make my covers my own,"
Ward told The Guilfordian. "They have my voice on them."
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Ward covered Michael
Jackson's "We Are The World."
He continued to impress on the big stage, rubbing
shoulders with Rihanna and Boyce Avenue on two world
tours.
In Sept. 2012, Ward released his first original album,
"Hello. Love. Heartbreak." The album seized the top honors
on 15 iTunes singer/songwriter charts.
"Releasing the album was exciting and scary," Ward said.
"Every song was so personal. As an artist, it's a real success
if you can be that honest with your fans."
Ward enjoys support from audiences worldwide but
pursues music for other reasons.
"I get great feedback on my voice, which is very flattering,"
said Ward. "But at the end of the day, I try to share my love
for the song, my emotion and my hope to genuinely connect
with people."