The Kanzok
Malaria Lab
Manuel Widuch
Year: Graduate Student
Major: Biology
Project in Lab: TBA!
Favorite Food: Pizza
Fun Fact: TBA!
Email: mwiduch@luc.edu
Mary Woloszyn
Graduation Year: 2021
Major: Biology
Project in Lab: investigating the microtubule-binding protein SAXO1 in the malaria parasite Plasmodium
Favorite Food: Pierogi
Fun Fact: TBA!
Email: mwoloszyn@luc.edu
Maleeha Fatima
Graduation Year: 2021
Major: Biology & Bioinformatics
Minor: Biostatistics
Project in Lab: Extraction and analysis of PhLP-3 gene and protein expression data from databases of key eukaryotic model organisms
TBA!
Favorite Food: Lamb chops
Fun Fact: I manage my own business through which I make custom cakes and assortment of other desserts for clients.
Email: mfatima2@luc.edu
Sylwia Balata
Graduation Year: 2021
Major: Biology with a Molecular Biology Emphasis & Spanish
Project in Lab: Screening of novel anti-malarial therapeutic compounds in a malaria mouse model system. I test potential anti-malarial compounds in a mouse model system. I look for efficacy along with efficiency. As a part of this project, I infect mice with the disease then check for growth of the illness through blood smears and visual symptoms using the BAR (bright, alert, responsive) standard. I also dissolve compounds and recently completed an independent project where I checked the effects of injecting corn oil into mice.
Favorite Food: Croquettes
Fun Fact: When I was younger, I wanted to be an FBI Agent due to the show Criminal Minds.
Email: sbalata@luc.edu
Elle Petravicius
Graduation Year: 2021
Major: Anthropology
Minor(s): Biology & English
Project in Lab: Mosquito Caretaker, or “Mosquito Lady”
I maintain the mosquito colony at Loyola’s insectary. This includes cleaning pans, transferring eggs, and feeding mosquitoes at both larval and adult stages. I also conduct experiments on the colony in order to determine the safest and most effective concentration levels of yeast-encapsulated essential oils as mosquito larvicide.
Favorite Food: Borscht
Fun Fact: As a kid, instead of bug houses, I made bug hotels! Amenities included half-eaten Teddy Grahams and hot tubs (or, plastic bottle tops filled with water).
Email: epetravicius@luc.edu
Savi Durrani
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology
Project in Lab:
My project involves the investigation of two novel microtubule-binding proteins, TLAP2 and SAXO1, in the malaria parasite Plasmodium. The Kanzok lab has already cloned and expressed Plasmodium proteins in a human cell line and demonstrated that PbSAXO and PbTLAP2 associate with the microtubules of the host cell. In addition, the Kanzok Lab has demonstrated that PbSAXO can stabilize microtubules at cold temperatures (4°C). This investigation of Plasmodium proteins in a human cell line was possible because human and parasite tubulins share 80% protein sequence identity. Going forward, my job is to evaluate the cellular functions of TLAP2 and SAXO in the malaria parasite Plasmodium. To test our hypothesis, we aim to use the genome-editing tool CRISPR
Favorite Food: Gelato
Fun Fact: I love pilates, and will be pursuing my teacher training in the future!
Email: sdurani@luc.edu
Elizabeth Kojak
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Biochemistry
Project in Lab: Structure and function of phosducin-like protein 3 from Plasmodium, Drosophila, and humans. In this project I will be cloning, expressing, and purifying PhLP-3 proteins from 3 representative species in order to determine the three-dimensional structure. This will be done in hopes of achieving a better understanding of its function and mechanism.
Favorite Food: Eight finger cavatelli
Fun Fact: My favorite animal is an otter because they hold hands with each other when they sleep so they don't drift apart.
Email: ekojak@luc.edu
Lara Ladney
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Biology & Bioinformatics
Minor: Math & Bioethics
Project in Lab: Characterizing the Inducible 1-Cysteine Peroxiredoxin Promoter in the Mouse Malaria Parasite Plasmodium berghei
My research project seeks to understand the antioxidant defense mechanisms Plasmodium berghei employs to withstand the hostile extracellular environment of the Anopheles mosquito vector through upregulation of defense gene 1-Cysteine Peroxiredoxin (1-CysPrx) in response to reactive oxygen species. My objective is to locate the antioxidant response element within the inducible promoter of 1-CysPrx through a “promoter-bashing approach” using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system to transfect a series of luciferase reporter constructs into Plasmodium berghei.
Favorite Food: Syrniki
Fun Fact: I spend a month in Moscow every year (lots of family there) & I speak fluent Russian!
Email: lladney@luc.edu
Anna Bielanski
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Biology with a Molecular Biology Emphasis
Minor: Bioethics
Project in Lab: TBA!
Favorite Food: Pierogi
Fun Fact: I started dancing when I was 5 years old.
Email: abielanski@luc.edu
Giovanni Rodriguez
Graduation Year: 2022
Major: Biology
Minor: Bioethics
Project in Lab: TBA!
Favorite Food: Johnny’s Italian Beef with fries and Italian Ice
Fun Fact: I played Rugby for Loyola and we made it to the national tournament the year I broke my leg.
Email: grodriguez11@luc.edu
Past Lab Members:
and...
Kaitlyn Kiernan
Farrah Siddiqi
Noreen Khan
Sierra Cole
Alexander Linder
Cecile Swift
Ana Ruiz
Louise Cabanting
Husna Khaleeluddin
Alec Lindstrom
Emily Zurales
Ahad Bagasrawala
Lina Chervak
Rachel Bush
Sara Hammer
Sana Hira
Shannon McGuire
Robin David
Rachel Kooistra
Michael Lamm
Benjamin Turturice
James Tasch
Sean Powers
Hannah Schaefer
Karissa Jackson
Zoe Hammerstone
Grifin Berge
Year: Graduate Student (Graduated in 2020)
Prior Degree's: AS Biotechnology/BS Biology
Project in lab: Utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to investigate the functionality of a microtubule-binding protein in the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei
Favorite cell organelle/component: Nucleus & Cytoskeleton
Email: gberge@luc.edu
Filza Ali
Graduated Year: 2020
Major: Biology
Project in Lab: Investigating microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in the malaria parasite Plasmodium
Favorite cell organelle/component: Golgi apparatus
Email: Fali3@luc.edu
Magdalyn Brabec
Graduated Year: 2019
Major: Biology
Minor: Spanish Language & Literature
Project in Lab: TBA
Favorite cell organelle/component: Ribosome
Email: mbrabec@luc.edu
Michela Marra
Graduated Year: 2020
Major: Biology
Project in Lab: Studying the properties and behavior of a microtubule-binding protein in Plasmodium berghei.
Favorite cell/organelle: membranes
email: mmarra@luc.edu
Megan Solans
Graduated Year: 2019
Major: Biochemistry
Project in Lab: Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system to investigate the functionality of a protein in the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei
Favorite cell organelle/component: chlorophyll
Email: msolans@luc.edu
Chase Gauthier
Graduated Year: 2019
Major: Molecular Biology, Molecular Neuroscience
Minor: Mathematics
Project in Lab:
Favorite cell organelle/component: Mitochondria
Email: cgauthier@luc.edu
Julia Stys
Graduated Year: 2019
Major: Biology
Minor: Polish Studies
Project in Lab: Effect of PDT agents on cancer cells agents
Favorite cell organelle/component: Mitochondria
Email: jstys1@luc.edu
Year: Alumnus
Major: Biology
Minor: Psychology of Crime & Justice
Project in Lab: Protein purification
Favorite cell organelle/component: Endoplasmic Reticulum
Email: skhan64@luc.edu
Sara Khan
Graduated Year: 2019
Major: Biology
Minor: Women and gender studies
Project in Lab: TBA
Favorite cell organelle/component: Mitochondria
Email: eknowlan@luc.edu
Emily Knowlan
Graduated Year: 2019
Degree: Biology
Project in Lab: Biochemical characterization of the highly-conserved phosducin-like protein 3 (PhLP-3) in eukaryotes
Favorite cell organelle/component: Golgi complex
Email: bsweeney@luc.edu