Alec Buttner

• 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.

Graduate Researcher, Ruthenburg Lab, University of Chicago MGCB

August 2022- Present

"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 PhD.
• Collaborating with another graduate student to explore the energetic barriers of nucleosome remodeling. Planning to submit a publication for peer review in summer of 2024.

Undergraduate Researcher, Moravian University Biology Department

August 2020 - Present

"Defining the Interactions Between Src, a Cancer Causing Kinase, and the Cx43 Gap Junctions in Glioblastomas"

• Wrote and defended a comprehensive thesis with review of 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

June 2020- August 2020

"Production of Petrochemicals Through the Design and Modification of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus Metabolic Pathways"

• Worked on project development to achieve research goal, attended workshops in PyRosetta/R/Python, read through primary literature, participated in lab group meetings, attended research presentations, gave 3 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, Moravian University Chemistry Department

January 2019 - Present

"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.

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

• Outstanding Service Award: University of Chicago South Side Science Festival, November 2023
• MCB Training Grant, University of Chicago MGCB, January 2023 to Present
• 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
  Approved in the amount of $2900. $2400 toward compensation for summer research hours and $500 for project materials.
• Student Opportunity for Academic Research Travel Grant, April 2019
  Awarded in the amount of $450 to travel to National Conference for Undergraduate Research in March of 2020

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)

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).

• 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