Summary
Kendra Cook is a junior undergraduate pursing a Bachelor’s in Biotechnology. Her coursework includes organic chemistry, analytical biochemistry, and physics. Kendra’s mentor is Dr. Dorothy Hudig in the Microbiology and Immunology department. Her research primarily focuses on quantifying OC-43 coronavirus virions that have been eliminated by natural killer (NK) cells in the immune system through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Techniques utilized for her research include quantitative-PCR and flow cytometry to determine the number of virions released by the cells over multiple days post-infection and to identify viral proteins present. The goal is to determine how long it takes before the infected cells can bind sufficient antibodies to support ADCC, how early in infection ADCC can reduce viral proliferation, and identifying which antibodies to viral proteins support ADCC to coronaviruses, using OC-43 as a model. Kendra presented her research at the Wolf Pack Discoveries research symposium in August 2025, and has recently attended the NSF GRFP workshop.