Ella Bleak’s journey as a self-proclaimed science nerd started at a young age.

Her inner nerd was fostered by high school chemistry and biology teachers, and having a professor in developmental biology with a PhD from the U as a neighbor didn’t hurt, either.  That led her to discover ACCESS Scholars, a College of Science first-year community, research and scholarship program for students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

“I didn’t really have many expectations,” explained Ella. “I didn’t know very much about the program when I got into it, other than the research aspect. It ultimately was one of the main reasons I decided to come to the U because I was looking for early research opportunities. What I was not expecting was the lasting effects it had on my experience at the U.”

Through ACCESS, Ella was placed in the Karasov lab. Led by School of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Talia Karasov, they work to study tailocins, phage-tail-like bacteriocins used by bacteria to compete with other bacteria for resources and space—essentially weapons used in a bacteria warfare. More specifically, they’re characterizing the interactions between tailocins and their target bacteria’s lipopolysaccharide (structures on the bacterial membrane which tailocins can bind) to understand how tailocins differentiate between closely related strains.

Despite an initial hesitancy due to its lack of chemistry, Ella says it’s the best lab she could have ended up in. Publishing in the Karasov lab opened up the opportunity for Ella to become a Beckman Scholar, an institutional award funding research for scholar-faculty mentor pairs, allowing her to combine her two science loves and expand her research into a biochemistry focus.

“My lab has been one of the most amazing and supportive resources I have at the U, and I am so lucky to be in that lab because of ACCESS,” says Ella. “Beyond lab work, ACCESS helped me get involved in the campus early. I was more confident in applying to jobs, talking to professors, and getting involved with clubs. ACCESS really was the thing that catalyzed all of my college experiences.”

Some of those opportunities ACCESS Scholars opened up include becoming a UROP Scholar, Teaching Assistant, and Science Ambassador for the College of Science.

“The major benefit to ACCESS compared to other research options is the community and network that becomes available to you. If you are looking for ways to find friends or mentors in college then ACCESS is the way to do it.”

Upon graduating, she plans to get a PhD in chemical biology and end up in research.

“I don’t yet know if that means academia, industry, or some other area, but I have found a love for research and know that I want to be doing it for the rest of my career.”