{"id":1140,"date":"2019-09-19T11:14:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T18:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/undergraduate-research\/?page_id=1140"},"modified":"2024-08-26T15:49:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T22:49:33","slug":"kyle-ghaby","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/student-research-stories\/kyle-ghaby\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Ghaby-Supercomputers, zebra fish, and insulin: undergraduate researcher combines physics and biology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supercomputers, zebra fish, and insulin: undergraduate researcher combines physics and biology<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"KyleKyle Ghaby<\/strong> and a supercomputer named Monsoon play with possibilities that could result in very real benefits for millions of diabetics and prediabetics.<\/p>\n

Ghaby, a chemistry and biomedical sciences double major from Los Angeles, works in applied physics and materials science assistant professor Gerrick Lindberg\u2019s<\/strong> computational chemistry lab on a project investigating new ways to make insulin, a medication used to treat diabetes, temperature-resistant.<\/p>\n

Insulin is normally stored in a water-based solution that, once opened, depends on refrigeration to remain effective. For patients that don\u2019t have reliable electricity, either because they live in areas that are remote, impoverished or have been hit by storms, their insulin supply is at risk\u2014potentially endangering their lives.<\/p>\n

To solve this problem, the research team is working to determine whether an ionic insulin solution holds promise, since liquid salt is more stable than water. Ghaby uses Monsoon, NAU\u2019s high-performance computing cluster, to perform calculations related to the physical chemistry involved in formulating the solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese metrics are extremely difficult to gather experimentally,\u201d Ghaby said. \u201cSo I use Monsoon to calculate physics-based simulations to predict how these molecules would react together in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning passion into practice through research at NAU<\/strong><\/p>\n

As an undergraduate, Ghaby is realizing his scientific aspirations by gaining valuable theoretical knowledge in Lindberg\u2019s lab. He\u2019s also developing experimental insights by studying the diet of zebra fish in biological sciences assistant professor Matthew Salanga\u2019s<\/strong> lab. The support of his faculty mentors has shaped Ghaby\u2019s approach to obstacles in his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey both let me troubleshoot on my own before helping, and consider my ideas before pitching their own,\u201d Ghaby said. \u201cI learn more effectively if I can process it myself. When I am having a hard time comprehending something, this scientific agility in which they navigate their research has really inspired me to be like them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ghaby developed a love of science in high school, and has seized the opportunity to turn his passion into practice at NAU. He finds that scientific research is a \u201chumbling\u201d experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you learn about life on this scale, there’s almost a philosophical aspect that really changes your perspective on life and the world,\u201d he said. \u201cI really enjoy it. It lets you step back from these daily problems. I’m in awe of what our bodies can do and what this universe is made of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Student spotlight<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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Kyle Ghaby<\/p>\n

Major<\/strong>: Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences<\/p>\n

Mentor<\/strong>: Gerrick Lindberg and Matthew Salanga<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Kyle Ghaby Video<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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Kyle was recognized with the 2020 Keim Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Learn more about Kyle\u2019s achievements and aspirations in this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Supercomputers, zebra fish, and insulin: undergraduate researcher combines physics and biology Kyle Ghaby and a supercomputer named Monsoon play with possibilities that could result in very real benefits for millions of diabetics and prediabetics. Ghaby, a chemistry and biomedical sciences double major from Los Angeles, works in applied physics and materials science assistant professor Gerrick […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"parent":15,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1140","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1140"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2180,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1140\/revisions\/2180"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/office-undergraduate-research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}