Undergraduate Researchers

We enthusiastically encourage undergraduate research in our lab. Undergraduates who work in our lab gain valuable experience using cutting-edge technology to study important biological problems.

Exampls of undergraduate driven projects include our DNA ladder and protein ladder projects to provide simple and inexpensive sources of DNA and protein molecular weight markers to the molecular biology community.

Our philosophy is to encourage undergraduates to learn new techniques while developing critical thinking. Undergraduates from our lab have progressed to graduate or medical studies at UC Berkeley, CalTech, Cornell, U Penn, Penn State Hershey, Thomas Jefferson and even Harvard Business School. We are proud that many of our undergraduates have won scholarships, including prestigious international scholarships to the U.K. such as the Marshall and the Gates Cambridge.

Most undergraduates work 6-15 hours a week during the semester. Limited full time summer positions for undergraduate research are also available.

Typical undergraduate researchers in our lab are members of the Schreyer Honors College with GPAs above 3.5, but these qualifications are not requirements. Highly motivated freshmen, sophomores or juniors are encouraged to apply through the formal BMB 496 application process.

If you would like additional information about undergraduate research in our lab, please contact Dr. Song Tan by email (sxt30@psu.edu).

Publications with undergraduate authors (in bold):

• Santilli, R.T., J.E. Williamson III, Y. Shibata, R.P. Sowers, A.N. Fleischman and S. Tan (2021) The Penn State Protein Ladder System for inexpensive protein molecular weight markers Scientific Reports, 11, 16703. (abstract)
• Henrici, R.C., T.J. Pecen, J.L. Johnston and S. Tan (2017) The pPSU plasmids for generating DNA molecular weight markers, Scientific Reports, 7:2438. (abstract)
• McGinty, R.K, Henrici, R.C. and S. Tan (2014). Crystal structure of the PRC1 ubiquitylation module bound to the nucleosome. Nature, 514:591-596. (abstract)
• Makde, R.D., J.R. England, H. Yennawar and S. Tan (2010). Structure of RCC1 chromatin factor bound to the nucleosome core particle. Nature, 467:562-566. (abstract)
• England, J.R., J. Huang, M.J. Jennings, R. D. Makde, and S. Tan (2010). RCC1 uses a conformationally diverse loop region to interact with the nucleosome: a model for the RCC1-nucleosome complex. J. Mol Biol., 398:518-529. (abstract)
• >Lichty, J.L., J.L. Malecki, H.D. Agnew, D.J. Michelson-Horowitz and S. Tan (2005) Comparison of Affinity Tags for Protein Purification, Prot. Expr. Purif., 41:98-105. (abstract)
• Tan, S., R.C. Kern and W. Selleck (2005) The pST44 polycistronic expression system for producing protein complexes in Escherichia coli, Prot. Expr. Purif., 40:385-395. (abstract)
• Selleck, W., R. Howley, J. Fang, V. Podolny, M.G. Fried, S. Buratowski and S. Tan (2001) A histone fold TAF octamer within the yeast TFIID transcriptional coactivator, Nature Struct. Biol., 8:695-700. (abstract)

Scholars and awards won by undergraduates in our lab:

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce