Felice Nguyen ’25, a biological sciences major at University of the Pacific, is spending her summer immersed in a lab, working on an innovative project to genetically engineer yeast into a probiotic.

The unique research opportunity was made possible through the Dreyfus Endowment for Summer Undergraduate Research, which provides a stipend and research funding to three students in College of the Pacific. The experience empowers students to engage in impactful research alongside faculty mentors.

“It’s exciting to be part of research that doesn’t feel like a course requirement. Working closely with faculty has made it easier to connect with my professors,” Nguyen said.

Under the dual mentorship of Professor Geoffrey Lin-Cereghino in the Department of Biological Sciences and Associate Professor Der Thor in the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, Nguyen is helping develop a strain of yeast that could one day help people with lactose intolerance.

“The goal of this research is to engineer yeast that can live in the gut and produce the lactase enzyme, helping the body digest dairy,” Lin-Cereghino said.

The project is part of a broader research effort led by Lin-Cereghino and Thor, allowing Nguyen to contribute meaningfully to work with real-world impact.

“The work from the students is extremely important to move this project forward,” Thor said.