The Beck Research Group in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) has an NSF grant (NSF 2213273) funded master’s student graduate assistant position available. Funding includes full tuition waiver and competitive stipend. Applicants should have an interest in conducting research in the field of chemical biology at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and cellular biology. Ideal candidates will have laboratory experience in either (a) organic synthesis OR (b) in vitro biochemistry techniques. In this position, students will gain experience in organic synthesis, mammalian cell culture, assay development, gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, fluorescence microscopy, absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, and other in vitro methods. In addition to completing coursework and requirements as part of the MS Chemistry program, duties will include carrying out scientific research as part of a master’s thesis project, assisting in mentoring undergraduate students, and supporting the administration of EIU’s iSTEM program (https://www.eiu.edu/clas/istem.php). Administrative tasks in support of the iSTEM program include but are not limited to assisting the advisory committee in planning, advertising, and running events and programs.

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Several Beck Research Group members have received competitive awards from EIU last week.

Congrats to Sam Knebel for receiving the Sidney S. Steele Summer Student Award!  This award will help fund his research efforts this summer. 

Congrats to Carolyn Karns for receiving an EIU Alumni Association's Distinguished Senior Award!

Congrats to Allie Kim for receiving three awards: Outstanding International Student Award, ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Undergraduate Award, and Outstanding Senior Recognition Award! 

Congrats to Luke Flaig for receiving the Harry Frost Chemistry Scholarship! 

Congrats to Taylor for receiving an ​EIU Pine Honors College Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) Fall 2022 Award. This competitive award will help fund her research project in our group during the Fall 2022 semester.

Carolyn received an ASBMB Student Chapter Travel Award to travel to Experimental Biology 2022 in Philadelphia, PA​. She is the first Beck Group undergraduate to present a poster at a national conference. Thanks to EIU Pine Honors College for helping fund the research presented.

Congrats to Allie, Carolyn, and Luke for receiving ​EIU Pine Honors College Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) Spring 2022 Awards. This competitive award will help fund their research projects in our group during the Spring 2022 semester.

Anchal and Mingze have the honor of authoring the Beck Research Group's first publication (review article) which is now available as an advanced article online. In this review published in RSC Medicinal Chemistry, we discuss human carboxylesterases and fluorescent probes that have been developed to study their activity in live cells. 

Dr. Beck received a Summer 2021 Research/Creative Activity Grant from EIU's Council on Faculty Research and Anchal received a Spring 2021 Research/Creative Activity Grant from The Graduate School! The funding will allow Anchal to finish experiments for her MS Thesis and enable new projects in our group. 

Congratulations Zen and Anchal for receiving Spring 2020 Research/Creative Activity Grants from The Graduate School! The funding will be used to support their efforts to study biochemical processes in living cells.