Sara Dixon is a 3rd-year Biochemistry major studying protein activity and evolution with Dr. Lynn Kamerlin. 

How long have you been an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech?

I joined the Kamerlin lab about a year and a half ago, in August 2024.

How did you get involved with undergraduate research?

I cold-emailed Dr. Kamerlin looking to get involved in computational biochemistry research.

What are you working on?

My current project is investigating the link between substrate specificity and allosteric regulation in phosphofructokinases (PFKs). To do this, we are using a combination of bioinformatics and molecular dynamics to simulate how unique bacterial PFKs interact with various ligands. We are also using ancestral sequence reconstruction and artificial intelligence to predict what older PFKs looked like and model their behavior.

What is your favorite thing about research/researching?

My favorite part about research is the opportunity to be surrounded by a topic of science that I am passionate about. I also love knowing that the work I am doing, however challenging and frustrating it gets, is contributing to our knowledge of this proteins.

What are your future plans and how has research influenced them?

My plan is to get my PhD in biophysics in order and continue pursuing related research throughout a career as a research professor. Undergraduate research has shown me that I am very passionate about research, and it has given me the skills to be more successful as I go forward.

What advice do you have for students who want to be undergraduate researchers?

My advice for undergraduates interested in starting research is to find out what makes you passionate about science. As you read about and reach out to faculty, make sure to articulate how their work aligns with your interests and goals.