Senior Spotlight Interview: Jerry Huang ‘25

Vivek: You've done a lot of great research and lots of projects as a high schooler, which is really cool. But before we get into that, I’d love to know: how did you first get interested in STEM and science?

Jerry: Yeah, sure. Let’s see… I think this goes quite far back. Science has always been with me since I was a little kid. I remember my dad teaching me little math tricks when I was in kindergarten, and that actually helped me skip a few years of math when I was in Virginia.

But if I had to credit one thing for really fueling my excitement for science, it would probably be the Gilman robotics program—well, that and my advisor, Mr. Shattuck, which was pretty wholesome. 

Gilman Robotics really opened my eyes to the world of engineering. Before that, I had never done anything related to robotics or engineering. Between freshman year and the middle of junior year, I became so obsessed with robotics, probably to an extent that was a bit unhealthy. I spent so much time on it! But that experience really solidified my interest in engineering.

As for my interest in academic research and the more theoretical side of science, that came from Mr. Shattuck introducing me to science journals. They were really fascinating! Just reading these research summaries and news articles from journals gave me a glimpse into the forefront of science. I can actually see a pile of 20 or 30 science journals sitting on my desk right now. I don’t always have time to read in-depth research papers, but even just skimming them has exposed me to so many different fields.

Vivek: That’s awesome. So, going back to your time with Gilman Robotics—when did that all start? Was it in ninth grade?

Jerry: Yeah, I joined the team as a freshman, and it was great. I learned a lot that first year. I was totally new to robotics, so I had to learn how everything worked, like, "This is a motor, this is a wheel, this is an axle, this is a U-channel." Just the basic building blocks of a robot.

As the years went on, I started learning more advanced skills. In my second year, I got into 3D printing and using CAD software for design. The year after that, I got access to a CNC machine, so I learned about CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) and how to program tool paths to cut metal parts. That was a big step because we transitioned from using mostly off-the-shelf parts to making custom parts.

This year, Michael Johnston has taken over leadership, but we’ve been able to build on what we learned each year and refine our designs. The team has gone from assembling commercial parts to actually manufacturing our own, which really opens up a lot of possibilities. It’s not just about building the best robot with pre-made parts, it’s about pushing the limits of what we can create ourselves.

Vivek: And CAD and CAM were primarily self-taught for you, right?

Jerry: Oh yeah. There’s a great YouTube channel called Product Design Online, and they have a 30-day Fusion 360 tutorial that was extremely helpful. I worked through that, and now when new people join the team and ask me to teach them CAD, I always recommend that tutorial to them. 

Vivek: That’s awesome. So, pivoting a little bit—how did you shift from robotics and engineering to bioengineering and research? Could you describe the research you’ve done over the past two years?

Jerry: Yeah, I wouldn’t necessarily call it research in the traditional sense, but my main project has been genetically modifying Lactococcus lactis bacteria to produce chocolate flavor compounds. The goal is to create a more ethical and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chocolate.

We do this by genetically engineering the bacteria to overexpress certain enzymes. Essentially, we introduce enzymes from other organisms that take natural precursors and convert them into chocolate flavor compounds. A good example is phenylethylamine, which is a chemical associated with chocolate’s flavor that also plays a role in the “happiness” chemicals in the brain.

To produce phenylethylamine, we use a naturally occurring amino acid called phenylalanine. By overexpressing the enzyme phenylalanine decarboxylase, we can convert phenylalanine into phenylethylamine inside the bacterial cells. Then, we extract those compounds from the bacteria to create a chocolate-like flavoring.

Vivek: So, in a way, you’re creating a synthetic chocolate flavor?

Jerry: Yeah, exactly.

Vivek: Why focus on chocolate specifically? Aside from the fact that everyone loves chocolate, was there something particularly compelling about it?

Jerry: That’s a really good question. For a bit of background, up to 1.6 million children, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, are used for child labor on cocoa plantations to meet the world's demand for chocolate. In addition, up to 70% of Côte d'Ivoire's deforestation is due to clearing forests for cocoa plantations. So, there's a significant ethical issue, as well as an environmental issue, with greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and land use.

This actually ties into my hesitation with this project. I’m not an expert in anything, and if someone were to ask me, “Okay, let's say we create fully synthetic chocolate, and in doing so, we take away jobs from these 1.6 million child laborers—what happens next?” The idea is that they’d now have time for education, but oftentimes, that’s not the reality. Many of them need to work to support their families. So, is replacing cocoa with synthetic chocolate really the best option? I don’t have an answer to that. Like most things, it’s a balance. I’m not sure if this is the best path forward. It was a very cool project to work on, but I don’t know how feasible it really is.

Vivek: Yeah, that’s a great thing to think about, and it’s nice to see that you've really considered the broader impact. I guess my next question is: What were the biggest things you got out of working with your iGEM team? How do you think it shaped your experience with STEM?

Jerry: Absolutely. iGEM is what pushed me toward bioengineering. Before that, I was set on majoring in mechanical engineering and working in industry. However, after being exposed to synthetic biology, I completely fell in love with the field. I loved going into the lab, conducting experiments, and exploring the real-world applications of genetic engineering. iGEM was my first real experience with biology research, and it changed everything for me.

Now, I plan to major in bioengineering, and I’m considering a future in academia, but we’ll see how college goes.

One of the best things about iGEM was the learning curve. Unfortunately, most high school curricula don’t cover genetic engineering, which makes sense—it’s not on the AP Bio exam, and it’s not really a fundamental topic for high school biology. But through iGEM, I learned everything from the basics—PCR, restriction enzymes—to really niche concepts, like how NisIFEG sequesters and expels nisin, an antimicrobial peptide. Whether it was through making mistakes in the lab, being mentored by others, or reading tons of research papers, I learned so much.

Vivek: That sounds like an incredible experience. On top of your work with iGEM, you’ve also done research at George Mason University and at Mercy. Can you talk a little about those projects?

Jerry: Yeah, sure.

At George Mason, I worked on a desalination project. It was a mix of material science and mechanical engineering, which was kind of funny because I was in the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, but I was the only one not working on a biology project. Still, it ended up being really interesting.

For context, desalination is essential for water supply in places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which rely heavily on it for drinking water and irrigation. The challenge is that current desalination methods require a lot of energy.

One method is distillation—boiling water and collecting the steam—but that’s energy-intensive because water has a high specific heat capacity. Another method, reverse osmosis, uses high pressures to force water through a semi-permeable membrane, filtering out salt ions. But the problem is, the higher the pressure, the more efficient the process—so small-scale operations, like those in rural villages, can’t produce fresh water as effectively.

That’s where capacitive deionization (CDI) comes in. The idea is that since salt ions are charged, we can use electricity to pull them out of the water. We apply a voltage across electrodes, attract the ions to them, and store them temporarily. Then, we discharge the electrodes, expelling the ions and separating fresh water from briny water.

My research focused on characterizing iron oxychloride electrodes to see if they were a good material for CDI. Our tests, desalination experiments, surface area measurements using a physisorption analyzer, cyclic voltammetry, and more, found that iron oxychloride wasn’t particularly effective. While that might seem like a failure, publishing negative results is important in science. We showed that, despite its theoretical potential, iron oxychloride wasn’t a great choice for CDI electrodes.

At Mercy, my experience was more of a medical research shadowing opportunity. I worked with a pathologist, helping with basic tasks like collecting slides, pulling patient records, and taking photos. But through this, I learned about a specific case involving a misdiagnosis of disaccharidase deficiency.

The patient wasn’t gaining weight despite multiple diet and medication changes. Initial enzyme and bacterial counts from a colonoscopy suggested a deficiency in disaccharidases—enzymes that break down complex sugars like lactose and galactose. So, the patient was given enzyme supplements, but they didn’t work.

When a biopsy of the small intestine was taken, doctors saw that the patient’s villi, the tiny, finger-like projections that increase surface area for nutrient absorption, were severely shortened. Normally, villi look like fully extended fingers; in this patient, they were curled up, reducing surface area dramatically. Further analysis showed signs of an autoimmune response: high white blood cell counts, inflammation, apoptosis, and Paneth cell depletion. This pointed to a rare autoimmune disorder, not a simple enzyme deficiency.

Once the correct diagnosis was made, the patient was put on appropriate medication, and their condition improved significantly. Since this disease is extremely rare—only a few dozen cases per year—our case report was meant to help future doctors recognize it earlier and avoid misdiagnosis.

Vivek: You’ve had such a diverse set of experiences: robotics, material science, bioengineering, and medical research. How have these shaped what you want to do in the future?

Jerry: I’ve had so much fun in the lab, and I really hope to become a research scientist. Seeing firsthand how science impacts people’s lives has been incredible, and I love the idea of discovering something new, whether it’s a new drug, a new treatment, or just insights that inform policy.

As for why bioengineering, I think it all comes down to my experiences. If I hadn’t joined iGEM, I wouldn’t have discovered synthetic biology at all. But now, I see so much potential in it. For example, modern insulin production relies on bacteria engineered through synthetic biology. Imagine if we could apply that same approach to personalized medicine: creating patient-specific antibodies using engineered bacteria.

CRISPR, in particular, is such a powerful tool. It’s giving us more control over genetic modification than ever before. And there’s still so much we don’t understand about biology. There’s a quote I love (I think I heard it in Mr. Fitz’s bio class):

"Free will is what we call what we don’t yet understand in biology."

We don’t fully understand how consciousness works, or how neural interactions give rise to thought. Biology is such a fascinating field, and I’m excited to dive deeper into it in college.

Vivek: Finally, as a lasting message on Gilman ENIGMA, as you're getting ready to leave these halls at Gilman, do you have any advice for your fellow students and for your community, whether in STEM or just academics in general?

Jerry: Yeah, I think the main takeaway for me—and this is going to sound really cliché, but maybe there's a reason why it's said so much—is to just explore new things.

I was only introduced to the world of engineering because of robotics. I only discovered bioengineering through iGEM. I got into materials science because of a materials science internship I did and by talking to a really cool professor at UMD. And I was introduced to the medical field through that shadowing experience at Mercy.

So my advice is to explore different areas, find what excites you, and pursue what you're passionate about. Try out some personal projects. And I don't mean to sound like a college admissions guru, but there's so much pressure on students these days to think that research is required for college admissions. Honestly, I’d argue that the only reason I got into Caltech was because of the passion that came through in my essays.

So if you're looking to get into STEM, find something you're genuinely passionate about and just do something with it. It could be research, but it could also be a small passion project, just like iGEM was for me. See where it takes you.