Kayla Cerri ’21 presents 'sea lettuce' research to American Chemical Society

Kayla Cerri (Biochemistry, ’21) and faculty mentor Amy Deveau, Ph.D. professor of chemistry in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, recently attended the virtual American Chemical Society National Meeting, which took place from April 5­ to 16.

On April 10, Cerri presented a virtual poster titled “Extraction, Characterization and Analysis of Bioactives from Maine Ulva lactuca” in the undergraduate research symposium.

According to the study, Maine Ulva lactuca — also known as “sea lettuce” — is an underexplored source of marine natural products. The study found that the composition of organic extracts from Maine Ulva lactuca differ from Floridian Ulva lactuca when the same extraction protocol was used. Data suggest that exogenous factors, such as environmental variables, may then influence the antimicrobial compounds produced by the algae, the researchers said.

In addition to Deveau, Amber Cusson, B.S. ’18 (Biochemistry), M.S. ’20 (Biological Sciences), and collaborators Angela Myracle, Ph.D., visiting research professor in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and Kristin Burkholder, Ph.D., associate professor of biology in the School of Biological Sciences, contributed to the work. 

Cerri’s research, conducted over the past two calendar year, was funded by UNE’s SURE program in summer 2019 and, in part, by National Science Foundation Grant #1355457 and the UNE Office of Research and Scholarship’s Faculty Minigrant program.

Cerri is a leader-scholar, serving as president of the Chemistry Club, a member of the CAS Dean’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, and as a mentor to chemistry and biochemistry majors.