Skip to Main Content

As pandemic persists, student’s research holds new importance

A

s a sixth-grader, Emma Lendy was the only girl in her class to choose the category, How Things Work, for her science project. In helping her build a telegraph, Lendy said her father, a mechanical engineer, “fostered my interest in delving into why things work, not just taking them for granted.” 

Lendy’s inquisitiveness and Purdue’s reputation drew her to the university. While an undergraduate student, Lendy worked in the lab of Barbara Golden, a professor of biochemistry. 

“Being able to take up research as a freshman makes you feel your professor has faith in you,” said Lendy. “It was an incredible experience and cemented that research was the right career path for me.”

Emma Lendy at the Lab
Emma Lendy

Lendy then entered the Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science (PULSe) program as a graduate student. After a year of rotations, she joined the lab of Andrew Mesecar, Walther Professor in Cancer Structural Biology. 

“I knew that I wanted to go into some sort of virology or drug design,” shared Lendy, who had taken Mesecar’s class as a senior. “Dr. Mesecar is great about pushing you into situations you’ll get a lot of personal growth out of.” 

In the lab, Lendy worked on two research projects.  The first focused on designing selective drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes. 

“When we’re targeting human diseases like these, we want our drugs to be selective and bind only to the target protein,” she explained. 

Lendy used X-ray crystallography to visualize how drug molecules fit a target. “This allows us to design the drug to specifically exclude interactions that could occur outside of our target.” 

Lendy’s second project involved designing broad-spectrum drugs to inhibit the entire coronavirus family. 

The lab designs drugs with the potential to bind multiple targets when drugs are focused on proteins in viruses or bacteria. 

“The whole lab has been working 24/7,” said Lendy, who emphasized the importance of a broad-spectrum antiviral in the context of COVID-19. 

Lendy planned to complete her Ph.D. in May but said the pandemic could delay her graduation. Her future plans include a postdoctoral fellowship or a position with a pharmaceutical company where she can continue contributing to drug design. 

“Knowing that the work I’m doing now could be directly translated to patient care, to find a great drug or a cure is exciting.”

Featured Stories

Leo Koenigsfeld
Leo Koenigsfeld - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

Leo Koenigsfeld grew up in a small town in central Missouri with the unlikely name of...

Read More
Bill and CD Young at a table in front of greenery in the Spirit and Elephant restaurant.
Purdue hosts new plant-based product development competition

A generous gift from the Young Family will drive food innovation at Purdue University over the...

Read More
Austin Grant with colleagues during his summer internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
FNR Field Report: Austin Grant

Austin Grant, a senior majoring in aquatic sciences with a minor in military science and...

Read More
Kingsly Ambrose in front of the solar system model in Discovery Park on campus.
ABE professor recognized for advancing ag safety and health

Kingsly Ambrose, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was...

Read More
Rice inspects insects in the lab
When passions connect: insect biology meets history

Her love for insects started early. “From the moment I could walk, I was outside looking at...

Read More
Student wearing a white T-shirt works on a laptop covered in Purdue stickers while sitting at a table with a notebook open. The background shows other students studying in a large, well-lit space.
2025–26 Animal Sciences scholarship recipients announced

Purdue Animal Sciences awarded $72,200 in scholarships to students for the 2025–26 school...

Read More
To Top