CMB Club President Bri Hofman spent 10 weeks this summer conducting research at Johns Hopkins University, working in Dr. Hristova’s lab within the Institute for NanoBioTechnology. With mentorship from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Ryan Shuck, Bri gained hands-on experience investigating how cell-penetrating peptides interact with cell membranes and enter cells.

Her research used a HeLa cell vesicle model to study how effectively a particular cell-penetrating peptide could cross the cell membrane and the mechanisms it used to enter the cell. Cell-penetrating peptides are small proteins that can interact with cell membranes and help attached cargo enter cells—an approach with potential applications in delivering molecules that would otherwise have difficulty entering cells.

Bri’s work involved extensive mammalian cell culture and confocal microscopy, along with data analysis using Excel, ImageJ, and GraphPad. She also had the opportunity to present her research through a poster presentation, an oral presentation at the program symposium, and an invited talk with Dr. Hristova’s collaborators.

Beyond building her research skills, Bri says the experience helped confirm her interest in graduate school and gave her a firsthand look at how research operates at a large university.

“This internship gave me the opportunity to dive into hands-on research, share my work with scientists, and confirm that graduate school is the path I want to pursue.”

Outside the lab, Bri explored Baltimore and made memories along the way, from visiting the harbor to celebrating July 4th and America’s 250th anniversary with the Blue Angels at Fort Henry—and, of course, discovering some of the best bagels she’s ever had!