Nathan Blair graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2019 where he studied chemistry and mathematics. His goals are pushing him to pursue a PhD in Chemistry and during his PhD studies, he intends to continue studying math. Nathan believes a strong foundation in mathematics will make him a much more desirable chemist in the eyes of the industry. He plans to gain a foothold in the industry as a PhD chemist and spend a decade or two earning practical experience that he may pass on to future students when he retires from the industry and pursues a career in academia. Nathan would also like to delve in the realm of chemical education and help the common folk understand more about the chemicals they are surrounded by in their day-to-day lives. His philosophy is that if everyone has a well-rounded chemical education, the misunderstandings leading to increases in unvaccinated children and refusing medical treatment will decline, thus using education to save lives.
Nathan Blair is now attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Chemistry PhD program, with full funding!
2018 McNair Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Frank Lynch - Mathematics and Dr. Nick Burgis - Chemistry
Research Title: Mathematical Model of Changes in Inosine Concentrations in the Purine Nucleotide Metabolic Pathway
Abstract: Mathematical models are designed based on physical laws and known relationships discovered through experimentation. These models can then be used to predict behavior of physical systems such as neuron firing, chemical equilibrium, and predator-prey systems. This project aims to incorporate methods of mathematical modeling to predict changes in purine metabolism. This will be done by creating a differential equation model to track changes in inosine, and eventually other noncanonical purine concentrations as different pathways are opened or inhibited. A successful model could provide insight into an alternative to supplementing various purine compounds in people whose diseases benefit from them.
