Joshua Morales is a graduated senior from Whittier College. There he worked in Dr. Valenzuela’s immunology lab where he investigated the effect of resveratrol, a natural plant-based compound found in red wine, when combined with cisplatin to see if the combined treatment had higher potential in killing Jurkat cells compared to cisplatin alone. He also worked in Dr. Christina Bauer’s immunology lab where he synthesized a new metallic organic framework compound made of imidazole and polyethylene, which had potential in replacing platinum as a catalyst in fuel cells.

As a UCLA Amgen Scholar, Joshua is working in Dr. Elaine Hsiao’s lab, which focuses on understanding the role that gut microbacteria Bacteriodes theta and Bacteroides ovatus play in short-chain fatty acid synthesis. Bacteriodes theta and Bacteroides ovatus each digest carbohydrates, levan and inulin, respectively. It is believed that the digestion of these carbohydrates is involved in a pathway responsible for short-chain fatty acid synthesis. In his experiment, Joshua focuses on creating knockout mutants of the rate-limiting enzyme in each pathway of each bacteria in the production of propionate and acetate, two important precursors for short-chain fatty acids. Creating such mutants can have a large impact in revealing if specific gut microbacteria play a role in contributing to obesity, which can lead to treatments preventing these bacteria from producing short-chain fatty acids.

Joshua would like to thank the Amegn Foundation, Dr. Elaine Hsiao as well as his mentor Kristie Yu for their guidance and support in fostering his growth as a scientist.