Marlene Jantes
McNair Scholar 2024
- Major(s): Biochemistry (Pre-Med)
- Classification: Senior
- Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2025
- Career Aspirations: After attaining a bachelor’s degree, Marlene plans to apply to the next cycle for admission into PA school. She would like to attend a program in Texas and stay in the Panhandle area.
“My favorite part of McNair has been the cohort. I have enjoyed getting to know everyone and seeing our research grow and develop. It has been nice making friends who are also doing research and sharing experiences with them along the way. I am beyond thankful for the part my mentor and cohort have played in my research.”
“Synthesis and characterization of bio-monomers from cashew nut shell liquid (CNLS)”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Maha Shrestha
A new and simple method for epoxidizing a bio-based raw material was accomplished using cardanol as the source of double bonds, acetic acid and amberlite as catalysts, and hydrogen peroxide as an oxygen donor. The products obtained from the reaction were analyzed using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Viscometer iQ, and Fourier-Transformation Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy. The analytical results suggested the formation of a new product with remnants of starting material.