Shay Adio

Background

About Shay Adio

I am currently a fourth-year chemistry major at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (SIUE). My curiosity and passion to explore various scientific fields has led me to work on my BS in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry. From Spring 2021 - Spring 2022, I did research in Dr. Kelly Barry's group pertaining to optimization of germination percentages and minimization of germination times of prairie seeds indigenous to the mid-western region of the United States. This past year (Fall 2022 - Spring 2023), I have been working research in Dr. Cristina De Meo's group pertaining to organic synthesis. Specifically, we synthesized monosaccharides by modifying protecting groups on N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) to evaluate glycosidic bond formation to recreate natural compounds. This summer (May 2023 - August 2023), I did an R&D internship at Corteva Agriscience. For my project, I optimized the reaction conditions for a synthetic step for a fungicide. This fall, I am continuing research in Dr. De Meo's group as we continue to modify protecting groups on sialic acid to evaluate glycosylation reactions.