Nathan Barber, a junior biochemistry major from Grove City, Pa., spent his summer researching how the protein osteocalcin adheres to bone minerals. Barber was one of 10 students selected for Westminster College’s 10th annual Summer Research Fellowship. Taylor worked with Dr. Erin Wilson, associate professor of chemistry, on his project, “Examining the Structure of Osteocalcin Under Physiologically-Accurate Conditions.” 

The project was inspired by a conversation he had with Wilson about potential research questions that could benefit from further investigation.  

“This style of basic scientific research informs a lot of our understanding of the human body and further medical research, which is especially important to me as a pre-med student,” said Barber.  

Osteocalcin is a protein secreted during bone growth that has a high affinity for calcium and helps add calcium and phosphate to growing bone mineral. Barber’s research explored a fundamental question about the process: How does osteocalcin attach to the mineral that forms bone? 

“There are two competing models about how osteocalcin attaches itself to the bone mineral,” said Barber. “One suggests that the same sites that bind calcium also bind the bone mineral. Another model suggests that a series of different sites do so. This research helps us better understand how bone develops, which has many potential applications in healthcare down the line. Our results indicate support for the latter hypothesis: different sites are involved in calcium binding and binding to the bone mineral.” 

Barber quickly learned the differences between working in a lab full time during the summer and working within the time constraints of laboratory courses during the academic year. He also discovered how the research process differs when experiments do not go as planned. 

“In lab coursework, if something goes wrong it’s rarely a big deal,” said Barber. “You simply write down what happened in the lab report and the results you were anticipating. However, if something goes wrong in the research project, you must understand why it happened and repeat the steps, or you won’t get proper results.” 

When he’s not in the lab, Barber is president of Westminster’s Speech and Debate Team and vice president of health and safety for the Theta Chi Fraternity. He is also a member of the Model UN team and works with Habitat for Humanity. 

Barber hopes to incorporate what he learned this summer into his upcoming honors research project. After graduation, he plans to attend Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine to continue his education. 

Sponsored by the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, Summer Research Fellowships at Westminster College allow students to conduct hands-on research and creative projects under the guidance of our experienced faculty mentors. 

To learn more about Westminster’s biochemistry major, visit www.westminster.edu/biochemistry. 

More Stories