How do cells respond to the world around them?
How two KEYS interns helped University of Arizona researchers answer one scientific question from two different directions.
From left: Aadhya Kondapuram, a 2026 KEYS intern from Basha High School, graduate mentors Zachary Bachler and Evelyn Cheng, David Jones, a 2026 KEYS intern from Pueblo High School, and graduate mentor Maya Arruda worked together on separate cell biology research projects in the laboratory of Michael Brown, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arizona.
Lily Howe, BIO5 Institute
Every moment, cells respond to signals from the world around them. Michael F. Brown and his research team study the molecules inside cell membranes that make those interactions possible.
This summer, 2026 KEYS interns David Jones from Pueblo High School and Aadhya Kondapuram from Basha High School joined the research team of Brown, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the College of Science and member of the BIO5 Institute, to investigate two different pieces of the same puzzle.
Working with doctoral student and mentor Maya Arruda, Jones investigated how cholesterol behaves within cell membranes. To answer that question, he prepared lipid samples, collected data using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer and analyzed the results to better understand cholesterol's role in cell membranes.
David Jones discusses graphs with graduate student mentor Maya Arruda.
Lily Howe, BIO5 Institute
At the same time, Kondapuram worked alongside doctoral students and mentors Zachary Bachler and Evelyn Cheng to study how changes in a cell's environment affect rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein in the retina. She used ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to measure how changes in acidity influenced the protein's activity.
Although they worked on different projects, both students helped answer the same scientific question: how do cell membranes influence the molecules that allow cells to function? In the process, they discovered how their individual projects fit into a much larger scientific effort.
Jones expected a formal laboratory environment but instead found a close-knit team eager to teach him new techniques.
"It's a very welcoming environment," said Jones. "It's not just some cold place where everybody does their own thing. I have someone with me showing me what to do."
Kondapuram was equally surprised by how quickly she was trusted with meaningful work. Within days, she was working independently in the lab's dark room.
"There was a lot of responsibility that I probably wouldn't have gotten outside of KEYS," said Kondapuram. "I feel very comfortable... it's a very open environment for learning."
Aadhya Kondapuram works with graduate mentor Zachary Bachler in a dark room to study a light-sensitive protein in the retina.
Lily Howe, BIO5 Institute
For the Brown Lab mentors, that's exactly the goal.
For Bachler, giving students an early introduction to research is one of the most rewarding parts of mentoring.
"I just enjoy helping people learn," Bachler said.
For Cheng, the experience also benefits the lab.
"It helps us gain a different perspective," said Cheng. "Different ideas are always valuable when discovering something new."
For Arruda, the reward comes from watching students become more confident researchers.
"Seeing them slowly start to understand, to grow and to come up with their own ideas... it's rewarding," said Arruda.
By the end of the summer, Jones and Kondapuram each contributed to a different piece of the Brown Lab's research. Together, their projects showed how scientific discoveries often come from many researchers tackling the same question from different directions.