Hi! I’m Cameron Reimers ‘26, and I’ve been working at Anschutz Medical Labs at the University of Colorado in Denver on drug development for Tuberculosis (Tb). I’m over halfway done with my experience here, and I have made some exciting discoveries both in the field of X-Ray Crystallography and just exploring Colorado.
X-Ray crystallography is an experimental method of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a compound, which is the backbone of my individualized research this summer. Tuberculosis (Tb) is a huge problem worldwide, being one of the deadliest single infectious agents, along with Coronavirus. In order to kill tuberculosis, my supervisor, Dr. Nathan Wlodarchak, has chosen to target phosphatase and kinase proteins within the bacteria because they are critical in development. We have found a drug compound 0909 that is effective in inhibiting Tb. The trouble is, the structure of the drug bound to its target is unknown, and that’s where I come in.
I have been growing crystals of the drug and target for the past month. Once I have crystals, I can harvest them and shoot X-Rays at them. The way that the X-Rays refract tells us the location and placement of the atoms. I haven’t gotten to the harvesting part yet, but I will in the next few days. Growing crystals is very tedious because they are tiny and unpredictable. The conditions in which certain crystals grow are still largely unknown. The good news is that I have made some pretty crystals of the Tb drug! It’s been so much fun exploring this new field of protein chemistry, and I can’t wait to move forward.
Phosphatase with Drug 0909 crystals that I have grown. The colors come from the plane polarized light on the microscope shining through the media and crystals.
Working to make liquid crystal solutions that will eventually see growth. It is very tedious but rewarding.I have loved all my time in Colorado this summer. When I am not in the lab, I have enjoyed going on solo hikes, mountain drives, and seeing live music. One of my favorite hikes was Independence Mountain, about an hour west of Denver. It was incredibly steep but the view at the top was worth it! I sat on some rocks and just took in the view for about an hour, and the weather was perfect. St. Mary’s Glacier was also gorgeous, and I did that hike with Ella McLaughlin ‘26 and Josalin McKeever ‘25, two other Cornell students interning at the Children's Hospital here over the summer. Some other weekends, I have been fortunate to have my family and partner visit me. My dad came on his birthday in June, and we hiked a 13,000 foot mountain, Mt. Sniktau, and saw two Dodgers vs Rockies baseball games. When my boyfriend came to visit, we saw more baseball games, went to the aquarium, and explored around Lookout Mountain. My grandma came and we (surprise) did more hiking and made cookies at my place. On the weekends where they haven’t been, I’ve been enjoying my time independently. In addition to the hikes, I also saw two concerts, Maren Morris at Red Rocks and Morgan Wallen at Mile High Stadium.
The view at the top of Independence Mountain. It was a steep hike but worth every breath.
Hiking at St. Mary’s Glacier with Ella McGlaughlin ‘26 and Josalin McKeever ‘25.
Hiking 13,000 ft Mt. Sniktau with my dad for his birthday on June 19.
Rockies Game with Kaden Legore ‘27 against the Nationals.
My view of the stage while seeing Maren Morris at Red Rocks.It’s been fun exploring this summer and getting in touch with myself. I’ve had time to reflect and appreciate all the things I have to be thankful for: my family, friends, nature, science, and music. I have Cornell to thank for this opportunity at Anschutz, and, even being only halfway done, I am beyond grateful. Having the chance to participate in a groundbreaking drug discovery is going to provide me with more opportunities to come. I hope to attend graduate school and then obtain a PhD, and crystallography experience will make me an attractive candidate. I would like to thank Cornell and its donors for providing me with this experience and I can’t wait to share my updates and discoveries at the end of July.
Devil’s Head Lookout hike from the top. It was windy, I plan on coming back to do this hike at sunrise.