Bioengineering sophomore Shweta Khorana named a Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Research Scholar

Shweta Khorana is a Cancer Scholar and sophomore in Bioengineering. She is one of eight recipients this year of the Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Research Scholar Award which aims to support women undergraduates seeking to study or teach science, mathematics, and/or engineering. Students receive a stipend for their research and funding to travel to conferences.

"A part of being a Cancer Scholar is connecting with research professors and conducting research in a lab starting your freshman year," said Khorana. She was exposed to a wide range of cancer researchers through the program's speaker series and wanted to further her interest in therapeutics and molecular biology.  

Khorana works closely with her faculty sponsor, Bioengineering Assistant Professor Shannon Sirk, and graduate student mentor Vince Kelly. The goal of their research project is to engineer human gut bacteria to produce therapeutic proteins for cancer treatment.

For her part in this project, she works with gut bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus, to determine the best way for them to produce and secrete engineered therapeutics without disrupting the rest of the gut microbiome. 

"The long term goal is to introduce engineered microbes into a food matrix, like yogurt, which already has live bacteria cultures," said Khorana. "This method would make therapeutics much more affordable and accessible and simplify how they work in the body."

Khorana has spent much of her life in Mumbai. "I knew I wanted to research in Professor Sirk's lab because she's looking out for people in countries like India who have a lack of access to resources and affordable healthcare," she said. "I've seen the challenges firsthand and this research connects with my personal values." 

"From day one, she has approached every aspect of the job with initiative and enthusiasm," said Kelly, her graduate mentor. "She has been incredibly easy to train, picking up the multitude of molecular biology and DNA cloning techniques, and the theory and reasoning behind them, rapidly." 

Working in a lab also allows Khorana to flex her creativity through problem-solving and critical thinking. "I learned that there is no set way to do research," she said. "It's about reading the literature, creatively applying what you learned to your experiment, and troubleshooting what doesn't work. I find this process very stimulating." 

As a woman in STEM, Khorana finds inspiration amongst her fellow female students and Bioengineering faculty. "Bioengineering at Illinois has changed my life. The support we get from faculty members like Professor Karin Jensen and Professor Sirk has been unparalleled," said Khorana. 

Professor Sirk recommended Khorana apply for this opportunity, and worked closely with her to develop the research proposal. “Getting this fellowship shows me that I am cut out as a woman in STEM and I'm supposed to be here," said Khorana. 

Khorana is involved with the undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and Engineering Open House. Outside of the department, she is the Secretary for the campus chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance which hosts events like the annual Yule Ball and Triwizard Tournament to raise awareness for different charitable causes. She is "100% a Gryffindor.”