Alec Buttner
Chicago,IL
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Graduate Researcher, Ruthenburg Lab
University of Chicago MGCB
Chicago, IL
08.2022 - Current
Defining the influence of RNA binding to SNF2H on nucleosome remodeling
- Mentoring an undergraduate student who will work with me through the remainder of my Ph.D.
- Collaborating with another graduate student to explore the energetic barriers of nucleosome remodeling. Planning to submit a publication for peer review in winter of 2024.
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Thévenin Lab
Moravian University Biology Department
Bethlehem, PA
05.2020 - 05.2021
Defining the Interactions Between Src, a Cancer-Causing Kinase, and the Cx43 Gap Junctions in Glioblastomas.
- I wrote and defended a comprehensive thesis with a review from an interdisciplinary council.
- Research Techniques: Co-immunoprecipitations, Western Blotting, SDS-PAGE, Mammalian Cell Transfections, and Cell Culture.
Summer REU in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
University of Chicago MGCB
Chicago, IL
06.2020 - 08.2020
Production of Petrochemicals Through the Design and Modification of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus Metabolic Pathways
- Worked on project development to achieve research goals, attended workshops in PyRosetta, R, and Python, read through primary literature, participated in lab group meetings, attended research presentations, gave three research presentations, and developed a comprehensive report of findings.
- Research Techniques: Metabolic Pathway Analysis, Protein-Ligand Modeling, and Docking Simulations (Schrodinger Maestro, AutoDock Vina, and PyRosetta), Python, and R.
Undergraduate Researcher, Bertucci Lab
Moravian University Chemistry Department
Bethlehem, PA
01.2019 - 05.2020
Synthesis of an Inhibitory Peptide for Quorum Sensing in Streptococcus pneumoniae through Optimization of the Hydrophobic Binding face and Substitution of the N-Terminus Residue
- Published two peer-reviewed papers.
- Traveled to partner laboratory at University of Nevada, Reno to conduct research for 5 weeks.
- Received a student research grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences of $375 and a SOAR research grant from Moravian College in amount of $2900.
- Lab Techniques: Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS), Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, and β-Galactosidase Biological Assays.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Moravian University
Bethlehem, PA05-2021
Ph.D. - Cell And Molecular Biology
Univeristy of Chicago
Chicago, ILPublications
- Milly TA, Buttner AR, Rieth N, Hutnick E, Engler ER, Campanella AR, Lella M, Bertucci MA, Tal-Gan Y. Optimizing CSP1 analogs for modulating quorum sensing in Streptococcus pneumoniae with bulky, hydrophobic nonproteogenic amino acid substitutions. RSC Chem Biol. 2022 Jan 28;3(3):301-311. doi: 10.1039/d1cb00224d. PMID: 35359494; PMCID: PMC8905529.
- Milly TA, Engler ER, Chichura KS, Buttner AR, Koirala B, Tal-Gan Y, Bertucci MA. Harnessing Multiple, Nonproteogenic Substitutions to Optimize CSP:ComD Hydrophobic Interactions in Group 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae. Chembiochem. 2021 Jun 2;22(11):1940-1947. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202000876. Epub 2021 Apr 7. PMID: 33644965.
Campus Involvement and Scientific Outreach
Graduate:
- Head of Infrastructure and Events, South Side Science Festival, March 2022- Present The South Side Science Festival (S3F) is a scientific-outreach festival where Chicago Southside community members are invited to UChicago's campus for scientific demonstrations, talks, and informational sessions on educational and occupational opportunities. I coordinated tents, food, vendors, music, and scientific demonstrations for out annual festival. Served as a core organizer of the inaugural festival in 2022 (2500 attendees) and helped grow the festival in the second year in 2023(4500 attendees) and third year (5000 attendees).
- Divisional Representative, Graduate Council, September 2022- Present
Served a a representative for UChicago's Biological Sciences Division (BSD) in our campus-wide student government. Advocated for the interests of BSD graduate students and served on the Community Initiatives committee to promote interactions between UChicago grad students and the Southside community. - Student Representative, Molecular Biosciences Cluster, September 2022-Present
Assist with admissions for the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) program and help coordinate the annual retreat for the Molecular Biosciences cluster.
Undergraduate:
- Student Body President, United Student Government, Dec 2017-Jan 2021
- Millennium Fellowship, United Nations Academic Impact and MCN, Aug 2018-Jan 2019
- University Accreditation Task Force, Moravian College, Oct 2020-May 2021
- Resident Advisor, Moravian University, Aug 2020-May 2021
- Student Alumni Representative|Department Of Alumni Engagement, Sep 2019-May 2021
- Treasurer, Political Awareness Coalition, Sep 2017-Jan 2021
- Student Admission Ambassador, Moravian University, Sep 2017-May 2021
- Vice President, Environmental Coalition, Sep 2017-May 2021
- Vice President, Students Helping Honduras, Dec 2017-Aug 2019
- Service Coordinator, SPECTRUM LGBTQ+ Organization, Sep 2017-Mar 2020
- Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, 2017 - May 2021
- American Chemical Society, September 2018 - May 2021
- Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, 2019-May 2021
- Graduate Department Student Worker, September 2017 - January 2018
Teaching Experience
Teaching Assistant, University of Chicago MGCB
March 2024- Present
- Undergraduate Topics in Biochemistry (Spring 2024)
Teaching Assistant, Moravian University Biological Sciences and Chemistry Departments
January 2019 - May 2021
Attended all classes, hosted review sessions, assisted with preparation of course materials/exams, and served as an academic resource for students for the following courses:
- Foundations of Biology (Spring 2019)
- Genetics (Fall 2019 and Fall 2020)
- General Chemistry (Spring 2020)
- Biochemistry II (Spring 2021)
Accomplishments
Graduate:
- Research in Progress, MCB Training Grant, University of Chicago, March 2024
- MGCB Recruitment Poster Sessions, 3 sessions, February and March 2024
Undergraduate
- Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention, April 2021
Summer REU in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago MGCB, June, July, and August 2020 - American Chemical Society National Conference - Organic Division, American Chemical Society, Approved but canceled for March 2020 due to COVID-19
National Conference on Undergraduate Researcher (NCUR), Council on Undergraduate Research, Poster, March 2021 - Undergraduate Student Scholarship and Creative Arts Day, Moravian College, April 2020 Beta Beta Beta Honor Society Chapter Presentations, Moravian College, October 2019
- Moravian College Student Opportunity for Academic Research (SOAR) Summer Presentations, Moravian College,
- August 2019
Undergraduate Student Scholarship and Creative Arts Day, Moravian College, April 2019 LVACS 2019 Poster Session and Senior Awards, Lehigh University, April 2019
Certification
- Outstanding Service Award: University of Chicago South Side Science Festival, November 2023
- MCB Training Grant, University of Chicago MGCB, January 2022 to June 2024
- Alumni Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the School of Natural and Health Sciences at Moravian University, May 2021
- Best Talk in Biochemistry: Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention, April 2021
- Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences 2019 Research Grant, March 2019 Awarded in amount of $375.
- Student Opportunity for Academic Research Winter Grant, November 2019 Awarded in amount of $450.
- Student Opportunity for Academic Research Summer Grant, April 2019 Awarded in the amount of $2900.
- Student Opportunity for Academic Research Travel Grant, April 2019 Awarded in the amount of $450.
Timeline
Graduate Researcher, Ruthenburg Lab
University of Chicago MGCB
08.2022 - Current
Summer REU in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
University of Chicago MGCB
06.2020 - 08.2020
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Thévenin Lab
Moravian University Biology Department
05.2020 - 05.2021
Undergraduate Researcher, Bertucci Lab
Moravian University Chemistry Department
01.2019 - 05.2020
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Moravian University
Ph.D. - Cell And Molecular Biology
Univeristy of Chicago