News
Congratulations Mickayla!
11/15 ![PDB101 News](https://cdn.rcsb.org/rcsb-pdb/v2/common/images/logo_pdb101_tiny.png)
![Mickayla Bacorn (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)](https://cdn.rcsb.org/news/2021/imbacorn,mickayla_jfif.png)
This past summer, four students joined members of the RCSB PDB and the Khare Lab at Rutgers to study protease evolution across all Coronaviridae using bioinformatics tools.
![2021 RCSB PDB Summer Scholars: Clockwise, starting with upper left: Mary Agnes Balogun (Morgan State), Mickayla Bacorn (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Cassandra Olivas (California State University Stanislaus), and Amy Wu Wu (University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez)](https://cdn.rcsb.org/news/2021/screenshot2021-07-21at12.26.57pm.png)
These students were part of RISE at Rutgers, a nationally acclaimed summer research program for outstanding undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Scholars participate in cutting-edge research in the biological, physical, and social/ behavioral sciences, math, engineering, and exciting interdisciplinary areas under the guidance of carefully matched faculty mentors.
Mickayla Bacorn's poster Biochemical analysis and review of the active site evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses was recognized with a poster prize at ABRCMS. MaryAgnes Balogun also presented her research on Understanding the active site of the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like proteinase (PLPro) at the meeting.
In August, Mickayla and Amy Wu Wu were each recognized with a Pauling Poster Prize at the 2021 American Crystallographic Association virtual meeting.