Seth Kinoshita is a 3rd-year biochemistry major studying regenerative nanomedicine with Dr. Younan Xia and chemical education equity with Dr. Pamela Pollet. 

How long have you been an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech?

I have been researching at Georgia Tech since the Fall of 2022 when I joined Dr. Younan Xia’s Nanocages lab within the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. More recently, I joined Dr. Pamela Pollet’s research efforts within the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in Fall 2023.

How did you get involved with undergraduate research?

Coming into my first semester at Georgia Tech, I was very eager to explore all the research opportunities at my fingertips. I spent many late nights on the websites of PIs, enraptured by all the amazing research that I could partake in. After sending many cold emails, I eventually had a few meetings with graduate students from various labs but Dr. Younan Xia’s lab caught my eye. I was so incredibly fascinated by their novel use of nanoparticles in nanomedicine and drug delivery, especially their development of biomimetic scaffolds using nanoparticles for surgical implantation. My meeting with Dr. Xia ended up proving fateful as I remain in that lab to this day.

Additionally, during my second year, Dr. Pamela Pollet was advertising a research position within her lab about equity within chemical education. As someone very passionate about providing equal opportunities in higher education for those from underrepresented backgrounds, this felt like the perfect opportunity for me. I also wanted more experience in developing skills such as computational work and data analysis, both of which would be honed through this position. Naturally, I had to apply for this position and am now working to find a solution to address disparities in organic chemistry education at the undergraduate level.

What are you working on?

In Dr. Xia’s lab, I am currently working on designing a bi-directional, bi-temporal scaffold for intrasynovial tendon repair. Currently, when patients undergo repair for tendon injuries within the hand, rehabilitation and recovery have timeframes of up to a year. However, this scaffold aims to reduce this recovery time to within three months through fatty acid nanoparticles and a novel blocking system to allows specific small-molecule drugs to go in their intended direction. The scaffold is also made of three different parts that have been crosslinked to varying degrees, enabling timed release of the small molecule drugs. This prevents inflammation and proliferation of cells from working against each other – rather, this bi-temporal aspect forces them to work together to create a more efficient healing process. Currently, these scaffolds are being used in in vivo studies at Columbia University and WashU School of Medicine to determine their translational ability into clinical studies.

I also work on novel synthesis methods of gold (Au) nanospheres for biomedical applications. Au nanospheres are one of the most practical nanoparticles in the medical field with applications in imaging and cancer treatment. My research primarily focuses on one-shot synthesis methods of these particles, meaning that the entire reaction is confined to a single vial. This produces less waste and toxic byproducts during synthesis – optimal conditions for clinical translation. My hope is that these synthesis methods contribute to more sustainable and clinically viable nanomedicine solutions.

In my research with Dr. Pollet, I examine grade trends in Organic Chemistry at Georgia Tech, particularly among underrepresented minority groups and students who require financial aid. Our aim is to bridge the educational gap by pinpointing factors that influence their performance and devising strategies to enhance their learning experience. This involves designing curricula and developing supplemental materials that cater to their specific needs. Additionally, I work alongside fellow students and professors to investigate holistic educational methods that tackle both academic and socio-economic challenges, ensuring that these students have equal opportunities to thrive in STEM fields.

What is your favorite thing about research/researching?

My favorite thing about research is getting stuck. There have been many a time where I’m sitting at my desk, completely confounded by the results that I’m looking at. I don’t know what went wrong with the data or experiment, nor do I know how to fix it for next time. It’s times like those that are the most frustrating about research – the times that make you want to pack up and go home. It’s moments like those, though, that have driven me to get creative and troubleshoot my way through the problem. Getting around the metaphorical brick wall requires a full understanding of everything that is happening within the experiment and the ability to look critically at your project, not scared of finding your own mistakes.

Getting stuck has made me a better researcher because it has also taught me all the necessary skills to deal with failure. In my research labs, my experiments are expected to fail the first few times. I can’t just up and leave, though. I have to solve the problem and figure out how to proceed. Same goes for anything else I and others do at Georgia Tech – we cannot just give in and give up when faced with a wail. We must figure out how to proceed and keep going. It is that part of the research process that I believe is the most applicable to life and why it is my favorite part of researching.

What are your future plans and how has research influenced them?

I think research has really changed what I want to do in the future. Before starting research here at Tech, I thought research was just a supplement that could help me on my path to a career in healthcare. However, through my experiences with Dr. Xia and Dr. Pollet, I’ve realized that there’s more to research than "just an aide." I want to incorporate research into my everyday life and see its impact in real-time via clinical translation.

Based on this, my long-term goal is to obtain an MD/PhD where I can continue to bridge the gap between my regenerative nanomedicine research projects and its clinical applications. I am particularly interested in focusing more on drug delivery and tissue engineering with the goal of developing solutions for musculoskeletal injuries. Through this, I want to contribute broadly to the improvement of patient recovery outcomes while minimizing long-term complications. This will allow me to ensure that my research is meeting real-world medical needs.