2025 Internship Project Overview

When released into the environment, endocrine disruptors mimic natural hormones such as estrogen, posing risks to human and aquatic life even at low concentrations. Traditional detection methods are costly, time-consuming and rely on complex laboratory equipment. Biosensors, which harness biological elements to detect target molecules, offer a cost-effective solution deployable on-site and in real time. In the Atkinson Lab, we previously designed protein switch biosensors in Shewanella oneidensis, a bacterium whose metabolism depends on electron transport. By modifying a protein in one of its electron transfer pathways, we created switches linking recognition of endocrine-disrupting molecules to a measurable output: electrical current. In this internship, I optimized these protein switches through genetic modification and characterized them through growth assays to measure iron reduction and electrochemical experiments to track electrical activity.

 

ORGANIZATION/RESEARCH GROUP

Atkinson Lab, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University

LOCATION

Princeton, New Jersey

Interns

Angelica She ’26
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Minor(s): Bioengineering
"I learned how to think like a scientist—how to create publishable figures, read articles critically, problem-solve in real time and troubleshoot difficult projects, while meetings with Prof. Atkinson connected my daily tasks to the project goals. Most importantly, I learned how to problem-solve in real time and work smarter, not harder."
Joshua Atkinson
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute

Mentors

  • Yves Louiseau-Marchand, Visiting Researcher, Paris-Saclay University