A’Lester Allen: How can tiny molecules drive big innovation?
Peptides are bite-sized relatives of proteins rich with healing potential for the body. They can help muscle grow, skin heal and the immune system stay strong. But for researchers, these comparatively minute molecules present a sizeable challenge.
“It’s almost impossible to study peptides without influencing them in some way,” said A’Lester Allen, a postdoctoral researcher at the Retzky College of Pharmacy.
Typically, researchers study peptides with fluorescence microscopy, which uses a dye to make molecules visually light up. But peptides are so small that most dyes weigh them down and affect how they move.
“Imagine critiquing a ballet performance where the performers were all holding heavy weights,” said Allen, who was named Postdoctoral Scholar of the Year for his research on visualizing peptides. “You wouldn’t get the true picture of how they dance. The act of dyeing fragile peptides changes how they move, making it an inaccurate research method.”
Instead, Allen uses a method called Raman microscopy, which identifies molecules based on their unique chemical makeup rather than the color of a dye.
“Being able to accurately study peptides will help us understand how they work, and how we can apply them to autoimmune diseases, cancer and other therapeutics,” Allen said.
For example, honeybees naturally produce apidaecin, an antimicrobial peptide that can kill E. coli bacteria. Allen said studying apidaecin at the microscopic level can help researchers learn how to translate those capabilities to humans.
Allen relishes the community he’s found as a postdoc at UIC.
“I’m in academia because of the people,” he said. “You get to interact with people who are very energetic and very enthusiastic about learning, and I appreciate that community.”
Even in his personal life, Allen’s hobbies center around bringing people together: cooking for his friend group (“which is a lot like science, but with tasty treats instead of little molecules”), hosting dinner parties and hiking. He hopes to eventually bring those inclusive qualities to a professorship.
“I think I’m naturally warm, and it builds community. Social grace, empathy and authenticity allow you to keep brilliant minds in science and inspire other people to join the field,” he said.
He’s grateful to UIC’s postdoctoral support programs and especially to Valerie Miller, who directs the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, for providing a nourishing environment to grow.
“Receiving this award is confirmation to me that what I’ve been working on so far has been worthwhile,” he said. “What I’ve been doing matters, and people do value it. It feels good just to be recognized.”
