Elizabethtown College Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Students and Faculty Present at National Conference

Two Elizabethtown College Biochemistry and Molecular Biology students recently travelled with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Amy Defnet to present research at the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Conference on April 12 to 15 in Chicago, Ill.

“National conferences allow students to meet and interact with other undergraduate students, along with graduate students, post-docs, industry leaders, and faculty from around the world offering new perspectives on not only their research, but future careers,” Defnet said. “Being able to see what is going on beyond Etown and grow their network is so important for planning for post-graduation, as well as bringing renewed purpose and passion to their current studies.”

Defnet and students Lauren Berger ’26 and Emma Caszatt ’26 presented posters to attendees at the conference. Caszatt was part of the undergraduate poster competition with nearly 300 students, in addition to presenting her work during a poster session. The students and Defnet got feedback on their work and spoke with potential collaborators about the future of their research.

All three posters involved Defnet’s research in the laboratory that studies the effects of hormonal changes and heavy metals on cell signaling that leads to diseases like cancer and asthma.

“Emma and Lauren have both been instrumental in helping me establish my research agenda and gather preliminary data on the effects of hormones and heavy metals on different diseases,” Defnet said. “They are both extremely hard-working and persistent in their research goals despite setbacks we have had in our experiments.”

Berger’s presentation, “Heavy Metals, Heavy Breathing: The Effects of Cadmium Chloride on Protein Kinase Signaling in Lung Epithelial Cells,” built off the work she performed with Defnet and Caszatt during the 2024 Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP).

Caszatt’s poster presentation, “The Effects of T2 Antigen on Thyroid Receptor Activity,” was in collaboration with Elizabethtown College Professor of Biology Jane Cavender. Caszatt has been developing her project during the spring 2025 semester and plans to complete an honors thesis project on her research in 2026.

Defnet presented her poster, “Mechanistic Study of Estrogen-Induced Exacerbation of Asthma Through the MAPK Pathway” at the poster session.

“From working with others to learning more about biochemistry, this conference taught me a lot that I can take with me for future research projects and presentations,” Caszatt said. “I had the opportunity to meet many people and learn about their scientific interests, and it made me more excited to continue my own research. I also appreciated the emphasis on failure as part of science because I found through my own research experiences that this is definitely true. You need to fail many times before you find success in this field.”

In addition to presenting posters, the group attended several sessions on biochemical topics and met with leaders in the biochemistry and molecular biology field, including keynote speakers who worked at the National Institute of Health, pharmaceutical companies, and various universities on key projects like the COVID-19 vaccine.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Elizabethtown College

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology students at Elizabethtown College use science to solve problems. By developing and fine-tuning critical thinking skills through intentional course work and lab experiences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors develop hands-on laboratory skills sought after by both employers, graduate programs, and health professions. Discover more.