Jacob Hatvany
PhD Candidate Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jacob Hatvany is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry & Biochemistry. Jacob chose Baylor because of the teaching, mentoring, and faith-related nature of the kind of graduate studies he wanted to pursue. His research interests largely lie with mass spectrometry and even projects concerning the characterization of the shape and opening of the glass needles that he uses to accomplish his research. Learn more about Jacob and his time at Baylor by reading the conversation below.
Why did you choose Baylor for Graduate School?
I attended undergrad at a smaller Christian university where I deeply enjoyed and benefited from the mentoring I received. I knew that if I was going to continue my education, I wanted it to be in an environment where in addition to learning STEM content and skills, I would also be able to pursue STEM and Higher Education as they interface with a faith-led narrative. Baylor has provided that for me in spades. In addition to a fantastic PI and mentor, Baylor has also offered so many resources to me that are tangential to my direct studies. This includes programs like the Teaching Capstone in Higher Education (TeaCHE) and Designing for Online Teaching Success (DOTS) programs from Baylor’s Academy for Teaching and Learning, the Conyers Scholar program through the graduate school, the data scholar program through the Baylor libraries, and events like the Advanced Instrumentation Workshop (AIW) hosted by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
What are your research interests?
I am interested in mass spectrometry and the interface between biochemical reactions and microdroplet chemistry. These reactions that typically occur in bulk solution often start behaving differently in these very small droplets. One of the most common changes we observe is an order(s) of magnitude increase in the rate at which the reaction is occurring. Mass spectrometry serves as a powerful tool to assess what reaction took place within the droplet as well as helps to quantify the extent to which the product of the reaction was produced.
What opportunities or implications stem from your research?
One of the great things about working in fundamentals research is that at the end of the day (or years) my work is creating and characterizing a new tool that can then be applied in so many creative ways. One way that is exciting to me is the ability to alter a particular reaction, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, from its traditional use with proteins to being applicable with a totally different class of biomolecules, glycans (biologically relevant sugars). This would be a completely novel way to get biologically pertinent information about these molecules; a task that has been difficult to accomplish so far for a plethora of experimentally frustrating reasons. This combined with the fact that glycans play critical roles in cell communication as well as serve as biomarkers for conditions such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer makes for a very exciting and purposeful inspiration to continue with this research.
What research excites you right now?
My family teases me for this, but right now I am very excited about my work characterizing the shape and opening of the glass needles I use to generate the microdroplets prior to analysis via mass spectrometry. By using different heating values and pulling forces I can generate a wide series of tips with varying opening diameters, side view profiles, and reproducibility. It gets even wilder when instead of making these tips from a regular capillary (where a cross-section looks like an 0), I use θ-capillaries where, like the name suggests, there is a glass barrier running through the middle making two channels!
How does Baylor help you achieve your research?
Baylor helps me achieve my work in several ways. Primarily, most of the data I collect comes from instruments located in the Baylor Core Research Centers in the BSB. All my mass spectrometry data comes from the Thermo Scientific Orbitraps Fusion, Discovery, and Exactive in the Mass Spectrometry Center. In addition, I utilize a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Center for Microscopy and Imaging for each glass needle I generate.
Baylor also offers so many tangential resources that contribute to my ability to develop as a scientist. This includes the programs I spoke of earlier as well as workshops focused on writing, mentoring, and professional development hosted by the graduate school and the travel awards to allow graduate students to attend and participate in conferences which give me opportunities to develop professional application skills and network within my field and beyond. Baylor also helps me in my research by providing me with ways to take a step back occasionally. This can range from programs like the Conyers Scholars all the way to events like the sailing clinics offered by Campus Recreation.
What is your dissertation research focused on?
My dissertation frames much of my work on establishing and monitoring these microdroplet reactions in context toward better analyzing glycans both in and outside of a biologically relevant context. I discuss and examine two distinct methods for creating these reactions as well as several methods to alter the extent of the reaction that occurs.