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“This is a completely new experience for me,” said Yinan Chen, 17, of Duluth. Chen is one of five high school students spending their summer conducting scientific research at �������� (GGC) as part of the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Project SEED program.

For Chen, a rising senior at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, it’s his first time working in a college laboratory. He jumped into the experience with enthusiasm, learning to use new equipment, exploring advanced scientific theories, and working with unfamiliar compounds and biomolecules. This summer, Chen is investigating the chemical properties of cyclotides, a unique class of macrocyclic peptides with the goal of developing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional crop pesticides.

On the other side of the lab, Elisha Yoon, 16, of Suwanee, carefully prepared a stock solution of Red #40 dye. Like Chen, Yoon is new to the college lab environment but showed confidence as she skillfully conducted her experiment.

“My project is based on computational drug design, and I’m fine tuning the structure of a molecular framework called 4-aminoquinoline to develop a drug,” explained Yoon, a rising junior at North Gwinnett High School. “I’ll be testing it on COVID target proteins to help prevent the virus from impacting us.”

Chen and Yoon are participating in Project SEED, an American Chemical Society (ACS)-sponsored summer program that places high school students at college and university campuses for eight to 10 weeks of immersive research. Students work alongside faculty mentors to gain hands-on experience in the sciences, offering early exposure to STEM careers and higher education settings. 

Since its founding more than 50 years ago, Project SEED has supported over 11,000 students in 40 states. GGC has hosted the program since 2017. Students apply to the program and are selected following interviews based on ACS criteria.

At GGC, the initiative is led by Dr. Ajay Mallia, associate professor of , along with fellow faculty mentors Dr. Neville Forlemu, professor of chemistry and Dr. Simon Mwongela, associate professor of chemistry.

“Students are working on one of three projects,” said Mallia. “They’re either studying water purification through the design of surfactants, extracting molecules from plants to support biopesticide design, or researching molecules with potential pharmaceutical applications.”

“These pharmaceutically active molecules could significantly impact drug design and improve how we treat diseases,” added Forlemu.

Although the program is only a few weeks underway, students are already thinking about how the experience is shaping their futures.

“This project has inspired me to work in a field like pharmacology,” said Yoon. “I’m also interested in a pre-med track, so I’m excited to continue this experience.”

“I might become a doctor in the future, but I’d also love to work at the CDC,” Chen shared. “Many STEM camps are far away and expensive. Project SEED at GGC is a great opportunity close to home. I’m a first-generation college student, and I’m really grateful for this experience.”

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