Hewlett High School students know their protein

A team of 12 Hewlett High School students finished third in the annual Stony Brook University Protein Challenge on Feb. 26.
The challenge requires students to study the structure and functions of an assigned protein. Then they must build a model of that protein based on its X-ray crystallography as well as depicting its structure and functions in an essay in round one. The students are then tested on their general knowledge of protein biochemistry in round two.
Students Jason Badu, Layla Elkoulilly, Alec Fischthal, Sophia Giordano, Elizabeth Isayeva, Leo Kahzan, Daniel Mizrahi, Mathew Pareles, Matthew Perkins, Nathan Roblin, Jacob Sabu and Jordanna Yochai were mentored by Hewlett science teacher Dr. Terence Bissoondial.
This year’s protein was the enzyme Glycosyltranferase B. known as GTB. It is responsible for the presence of the B-antigen on membranes of red blood cells as well as a variety of other cells and tissues.