In this series, we learn more about what inspired our talented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, what brought them to their field of study, and the questions that drive their work as part of the Wisconsin Energy Institute and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. Lizza (pronounced Lee-sa) Korolev is a junior biology major at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She works in the Sato lab with her mentor, Lillian Barten, where they research yeast strains that can break down switchgrass into biofuel.
How did you get into research?
I've always been interested in microbiology. When I took AP Biology in high school, I particularly liked learning about parts of the cell, so when I was looking for research opportunities on campus I particularly looked at different microbiology labs, and that’s how I found the one I work in now. It’s interesting because I didn't used to think of yeast when I thought of microbes. I thought of bacteria, but now I know so much more about yeast!
What about biology caught your interest?
Biology feels very interconnected; it takes a lot of math, physics, and chemistry and puts it all together. But it's also the thing that drives life. It’s the science of life. Not only does it combine all the subjects I like, there’s also so much to learn. The more I learn in school, the more I realize that there's so much we don't know about biology. So that motivates me to keep learning.
What are you working on right now?
I work with my mentor, Lilli, on genetic changes that allow yeast to ferment drought switchgrass. Drought switchgrass is just switchgrass that’s grown during a drought. Because it’s grown during a drought it tries to create more of a defense mechanism so it can fight off microbes, like yeast. Some studies show that drought switchgrass has a lot of saponins, which are kind of like the plant's resistance mechanism to the yeast. Lilli found out that if you add ergosterol, a chemical related to cholesterol, the yeast can overcome those inhibitory effects. I've been working with her on developing genetically engineered strains that can naturally increase their ergosterol production.
What do you like about working at the Wisconsin Energy Institute?
I love the community. Everybody here is really nice, welcoming, and helpful. I feel like everybody wants to get to know you and be friends. I also like that every day is different. I spend a lot of time doing PCR (a DNA duplication and analysis technique) but also I get to do lots of different things. Every day is different, and I love that. I’m always talking with my mentor to think up new ideas.
Are there any projects you’re looking forward to this year?
Lilli and I are going to be starting a directed evolution in January. Directed evolution is the process of evolving an organism in a controlled environment, such as the lab. A lot of yeast strains that can ferment xylose, a sugar found in switchgrass, have trouble with drought switchgrass, and a lot of yeasts that can digest drought switchgrass have trouble with xylose. There might be an overlap between those processes, so directed evolution may give us insight into genetic changes that could be helpful.
How do you perform directed evolution in the lab?
We’ll start by growing a strain of yeast in a specific environment that it doesn't grow very well in, and then moving a sample of this population into fresh media after all of the sugar has been consumed from the previous media. Throughout this process, the population will accumulate random mutations, some of which may be beneficial for growing in its specific environment, and individuals with beneficial mutations will grow and reproduce more, taking over the population. We can sequence the genomes of our evolved strains once they grow well in our environment, and from there identify the possible genes and mutations that made our organism grow well. We’ll be starting with yeast that has already been engineered to ferment xylose that can’t overcome the inhibitory effects of drought switchgrass and hopefully end with something that can ferment both.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I do a lot of art. I like to draw and paint, particularly with acrylics and oil. Most of my art isn’t completely realistic, kind of stylized. I also got into jewelry making about a year ago.
What do you see yourself doing with biology in the future?
I definitely want to go to grad school after this because I feel like I have a lot of curiosity about other things. After that, I could also see myself wanting to teach, but that's way ahead. I know I want to keep working with microbes, but I might try working with something other than yeast to get a different experience.
What advice do you have for somebody who wants to get into undergraduate research?
Reach out to as many people as you can involved in things you find interesting. And even if you don’t think it’s that interesting, it's worth a try to reach out, because you never know what might interest you. You can learn a lot in school, but working with it hands-on is a completely different experience. You might find something that you didn't realize you liked.
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