Sierra Paolicchi, a junior in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, received an Advanced Undergraduate Research Activity (AURA) award for Spring 2026.
Overseen by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URF), AURA is a spring and summer program to promote advanced research and creative activities among UT undergraduate students.
Paolicchi received the award to support her ongoing research in the field of strain and metabolic engineering with the Trinh Lab, which involves many hours of in-lab bench work as well as experimental design and analysis each week.
Paolicchi will be given a stipend of $1,750 and present her results at one of the URF’s annual research exhibitions, which is EUReCA in the spring and Discovery Day in the fall.
“This award will be instrumental in allowing me to continue my research by relieving the financial burden and allowing me to dedicate the necessary amount of time to this project that it requires,” Paolicchi said.
Paolicchi is working to develop a genetic toolkit for the probiotic bacteria Bacillus coagulans to pave the way for the development of genetically engineered B. coagulans strains to produce high-value biochemicals, such as esters and short-chain fatty acids, at high titer and yield.
“This project is important because it will open up entirely new opportunities to optimize these bacteria for industrial applications in the food, animal husbandry, pharmaceutical, and bio-based materials industries,” said Paolicchi, who hopes to one day work in the bioengineering field, applying biological systems to develop solutions that benefit and protect the environment.”
CBE Research Assistant Professor Seunghyun Ryu has been mentoring Paolicchi through a structured progression, beginning with intensive weekly guidance on research training, experimental design, and hands-on techniques while gradually transitioning her toward independent work.
“Sierra demonstrates strong capabilities through independent problem-solving, quick learning of experimental techniques, and a solid understanding about the projects,” Ryu said. “Her enthusiasm and attitude for research makes the AURA award an excellent opportunity for her to expand her contributions and further establish herself as an independent researcher within my group.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)