Tannor Court

Where did you transfer from?

Gustavus Adolphus College

Why did you want to come to the University of Minnesota?

I really wanted to get a chance to change my program and get into the different forms of research offered all across the campus.

Who is your research mentor?

Misha Golynskiy

What are you researching?

We are trying to identify functional variants form a synthetic library that are capable of performing enzymatic activity when expressed within an organism. I chose this research project because I really enjoy biochemistry and I just want to see how the world works on a cellular level. This research is important because it can help us modify the activity of proteins.

What have you gotten out of this experience?

When I came to the University of Minnesota, I had limited knowledge of research techniques in the lab, but now I have had the opportunity to many new research techniques in my day-to-day work. It will help me in the future because I can take the skills and knowledge I’ve obtained in the lab and apply them in my professional field in the future.

What are your interests outside of school?

I love to play pool/billiards with my friends, go running, and go swimming.

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities?

I am a part of Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional chemistry fraternity that is dedicated to spreading chemistry to those less fortunate through outreach and volunteering.

What are you plans for the future?

I would like to continue my studies in biochemistry, but also get into a computer science program as well. While I'm at the University, I plan on taking advantage of as many opportunities as I can to conduct research. I hope to go to medical school in the future and become an orthopedic surgeon.

Back to HHMI research mentor program