Ryan Nangreeve conducts complex research in his Lake Havasu lab and mentors ASU undergraduates.

Arizona State University at Lake Havasu It is known for its picturesque beauty, access to outdoor activities, and small campus atmosphere.

But beneath its quirky exterior, intense research takes place in the lab.

Ryan Nangreeve, an assistant professor of chemistry and one of his students, are working to synthesize new molecules for the production of unnatural proteins. Yes, it sounds complicated, but it really is. But in the real world, it has important implications.

“This kind of genetic engineering allows scientists to create new proteins with unique activities, properties, labels and further ways of binding to other molecules.” Was a postdoctoral fellow at ASU Biodesign Institute.

“This will enable future researchers to advance research in health, medicine and cancer.”

ASU Video on Lake Havasu Molecular Research: Arizona State University (ASU)

Video by Ken Fagan/ASU News

Nangreave is in his seventh year working on an undergraduate research project. The goal is to complete the research and present the findings at the next American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans in 2024.

What is done in the lab supersedes what is done outside the classroom. Through his mentorship, Nangreave is preparing undergraduates for graduate work and developing future chemists and his STEM workers.

Just ask Aidanek Ruslanbekova, a 2022 graduate of Lake Havasu ASU with a degree in biology. She said it would not have been possible without Nangreeb’s guidance.

“I used to work in an office on the Havasu campus, but I quit my job to devote my time and energy entirely to research in Dr. Nangreeb’s lab.” We plan to pay $33,000 to implement it. “His research and teaching experience at ASU in Lake Havasu provided the opportunity to be considered for graduate school.”

She said her first day in Nangreeb’s class was life-changing. He conducted experiments with balloons filled with various gases to demonstrate his chemistry concepts.

“He concluded the lesson by saying, ‘That’s why I like organic chemistry,'” said Ruslan Bekova from Kyrgyzstan. “I think his passion for this subject is why I also developed a passion for chemistry.”

Nangreave now infuses that same passion with Cem Arkun, a second-year biology student. Arkun, who is from Turkey, originally applied to a medical school in Italy, but he was unable to enter due to COVID-19. He applied for his ASU and was due to attend the West Campus, but it was at Lake Havasu that he discovered ASU.

“Havasu offers the same majors, but I like the small-town feel,” Arkun said. “You get to know people, communities and instructors really well.”

The latter definitely applies to Nangreeb. Nangreeb is the newest protégé and he spends up to 12 hours a day. In fact, they are like family.

“The drive for excellence and success that Shem has is amazing,” Nangreeve said. “He comes to my office every day to ask questions. He works with me 20-30 hours a week in the lab, even on weekends. It encourages me to be a better teacher.”

Arkun said he had plans to become a doctor and that the research he was doing with Nangreave was preparing him for the day.

“I don’t feel like I’m working on an undergraduate research project. I feel like I’m getting graduate-level experience now,” Arkun said. “It’s in the way he (Nangreave) treats me, teaches and explains. He’s my mentor. I can say he’s benefited greatly from this experience.”

Nangreeb said the feelings are mutual.

“There are breaks in the lab, and that’s when you really get to know your students,” Nangreeve says. “They get to know me as a person. I get to know them and their backgrounds and where they come from. I exchange gifts with his family on holidays. Me sees them as part of a big family.”

Related: ASU of Lake Havasu Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Community Education

It’s no mystery why students come to Havasu. The reason Nangreave exists is a bit of a fluke. In 2014, Nangreave and his wife, Janette (who is a physical chemistry lecturer at his ASU at Lake Havasu), began their postdoctoral studies at Tempe when they received a call to teach a semester at Havasu. was in the middle. My previous teacher retired in the middle of the semester to get a job at another university and I urgently needed a replacement. Nangreeb was offered an adjunct faculty position to fill the slot.

“I felt like it would be a good opportunity to gain some teaching experience, but I always had the idea of ​​going back to Tempe to finish my postdoc and go into industry,” Nangreeve said. “But when I climbed here, I thought it was paradise.”

The students thought the same about Nangreeb, who was grateful for their commitment and work. When job openings were posted at the end of the school year, students turned to Nangreeb to apply. They also pressured then-director David Young to hire Nangreeb. Young listened to the students and put up a job offer in Nangreeb when they submitted their applications. Nangreeb called his wife and asked her to quit her job at the Biodesign Institute, where she ran her lab. Since his family moved from Chandler, Arizona to Havasu City in 2015, he has never looked back.

ASU Executive Director of Lake Havasu, Carla Harklelord, is pleased that Nangreeves has made the campus its new home.

“Ryan and Janet Nangreeve It embodies the best ASU in Lake Havasu and continues to help shape this place.“The success of our students, our colleagues, and their commitment to ASU is inspiring, and our community’s commitment to STEM education is commendable. I can’t wait to see what they do next on campus and in Lake Havasu City.”

Nangreave’s next move is to just sit back and keep inspiring his students.

“After three years of teaching in this position, I received an offer to teach at my alma mater in the East,” Nangreeve admitted. “It was a great job offer, so I discussed it with his wife and kids, but we all agreed that Lake Havasu was our home.

“I’m exactly where I should be.”

Above: Cem Arkun in ASU’s lab at Lake Havasu using a pipette to add a mixture of chemicals to perform an experiment designed to protect amino acid structures.Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU News