Hamel Center Researchers at the URC, Part 2: Tyler Brock

Tyler Brock ’26 is a chemistry major who has completed multiple INCO courses through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research as well as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) in 2024. In this blog post, he explains his research, what he’s gained from it, and how he prepared to present his research at multiple different conferences over the past year, including at UNH’s 2025 Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) this week. He is presenting his research, Design and Synthesis of a Tetrapeptide for Removal of Lead from Water, at the Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering (ISE) Symposium on April 23.

What is your research about? 

Lead in the water supply is a global problem because of lead’s natural abundance and toxicity in the body. Dr. Roy Planalp’s lab at UNH aims to solve this problem using peptides, small chains of amino acids. These amino acids are selected for their ability to bind to lead over other metals in the water. Elements can be characterized as metals or nonmetals. Nonmetals donate electrons, so in inorganic chemistry, they are referred to as Lewis bases; conversely, metals accept electrons, so they are referred to as Lewis acids. An element's position on the periodic table can indicate how hard or soft it is based on its affinity for electrons, and elements that are similar in character prefer to bind to one another. By choosing amino acids that contain an appropriate mix of acids and bases, these peptides bind to lead highly selectively, which allows them to remove lead from the water. These peptides are also environmentally stable and break down into environmentally safe products. 

What did you learn through the research process? 

Through this experience, I have been able to deepen my understanding of core concepts in both organic and inorganic chemistry. This work allowed me to better understand the trial-and-error aspects of the research process and become familiar with techniques used across the field of chemistry. 

What was the best part of doing this research project, and what did you find the most challenging?

The best part of doing this research project is the troubleshooting aspect of the work. There is always a process to improve or a technique that can be better utilized, and through struggling with the challenges, I have been able to learn how to handle new problems when they arise. I find the most challenging aspect of the work to be narrowing down the potential causes of issues. Due to the environment of the reactions and analysis being complex, this can lead to issues that may be coming from various sources, which all could cause similar-looking problems. So, these problems are the most time-consuming because I must carefully work through the list of potential problems and eliminate them one by one until I find the culprit.

How did you prepare to present this research?

I prepared to present this research with the help of my professor and the graduate students in the department. They allowed me to present my work at our group meetings as a practice run for presenting at a conference. Additionally, we talk constantly about our work, and these conversations allow me to build both confidence and understanding about my research. When it came time for me to present at the Boston Regional Inorganic Colloquium (BRIC), a small research conference of Boston area inorganic chemists, I presented a poster with my graduate student mentor, Emily Andrews, who was able to help me when I got stuck on certain concepts or questions. This prepared me to eventually present at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a national gathering of chemists from across the country. I will be presenting my research again this week at UNH’s Undergraduate Research Conference (URC).

What’s next for you? 

Next for me is another year of undergraduate research as I work to create my thesis. My plan is for my thesis to consist of the work I have already carried out and new challenges I aim to solve. I would like to eventually evaluate other sequences of different amino acids to compare these to my original in terms of how well and how exclusively they bind to lead. I have found the research experience so rewarding that I hope to be able to pursue a postgraduate degree in chemistry so that I can continue to tackle these challenges and expand my understanding.