Tommi A. White
BS, Mizzou, biochemistry
PhD, Mizzou, biochemistry
Current job
I am working toward the design of an AIDS vaccine at the National Cancer Institute. We study protein structure of HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins using high-resolution cryo electron microscopy. We are studying these proteins in the context of the virus, something that has been difficult to do in the past.
Why Mizzou
I attended a high school band event at Mizzou and got a glimpse of what happens at research universities. I attended the George Engelmann Mathematics and Science Institute, a summer program at University of Missouri-St. Louis, where we conducted laboratory experiments, discovering scientific phenomena and mathematical relationships. I knew research was for me. After visiting other undergraduate institutions, I decided Mizzou was the place where I could investigate further research areas I had not previously appreciated. In my undergraduate studies, I fell in love with biochemistry – the chemistry of life – and research helped me discover more about this fascinating field. In graduate school, I studied how an enzyme's structure correlates to metabolic function.
Preparation
My undergraduate education gave me a good foundation that was built upon in graduate school. My graduate area of study, protein crystallography, is a somewhat mature field, whereas my current field of cryo-electron microscopy is immature but following along quickly in protein crystallography's footsteps. Many of the skills that I have from protein crystallography are applicable to my new field, especially the sample manipulation and computation. My training as a scientist at Mizzou has given me the critical skills to assess what components are required for a scientific publication and their subsequent assembly for submission.
Career choice
My PhD research area of protein crystallography was challenging because it required a protein crystal, which can be a time-consuming — and sometimes impossible — step. If you are studying more than one protein and want structural information, then you have to crystallize both proteins into a single crystal. With my new field of research, cryo electron microscopy, these proteins can be visualized readily without the time-consuming steps required to form a protein crystal.
The future
My career goals include leading a talented research group to unravel the mysteries surrounding human disease; mentoring and teaching young scientists; and continuing my own education.