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鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to fail, because failure is the first step to learning who you are,鈥� said chemistry major Shelby Kelliher about trying to learn another language and engage in another culture while studying abroad. 鈥淚 recommend people to put yourself in a zone where you will be uncomfortable, because I think the best way to grow is from that discomfort.鈥�

Last summer, Kelliher traveled to Lyon, France, on an internship to study volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from plastics using a device known as a Fourier-transfer ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, housed at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. However, the spectrometer was unable to detect enough of the compounds to produce a statistically significant result. 

鈥淭his method was unable to detect significant quantities of VOCs within all tested plastic samples,鈥� Kelliher concluded in her presentation at UAA鈥檚 Student Research and Creative Scholarship Showcase in April. Rather than a failure, publishing these results is an important part of the scientific process, allowing others to learn what does and doesn鈥檛 work. Likewise, learning from setbacks was a crucial part in Kelliher鈥檚 path in and out of the lab.

A long road to Lyon

Kelliher began her studies at UAA in 2019, aiming to complete a four-year degree in chemistry. 鈥淚 chose chemistry because I always loved the sciences, and I love a challenge, too,鈥� said Kelliher. 鈥淧roblem solving is one of the things that I've always been really interested in.鈥�
 
Unfortunately, Kelliher鈥檚 plans changed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. 鈥淚t was very hard to actually do organic chemistry online,鈥� Kelliher explained, who was also working at the time. 鈥淚 was ignorant; I was trying to take classes full-time and also work a full-time job like your average 19-year-old doesn't realize they can't do.鈥�

After these setbacks, Kelliher graduated from UAA in 2021 with an associate degree to 鈥済et my piece of paper鈥� and then spent a few years working in the service industry. However, her passion for the sciences persisted, and she decided to return to UAA in fall 2023 to finish her chemistry degree.

That year, Kelliher learned about an internship supported by the UAA ConocoPhillips Arctic Science and Engineering Endowment. Kelliher initially applied for the internship for the summer 2024 season, but Patrick Tomco, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, recommended she wait another year. 鈥淗e wanted me to get more credits under my belt before I went.鈥�

Ultimately, this recommendation proved wise. While in Lyon, most of Kelliher鈥檚 research was independent, with minimal assistance from her mentor. 鈥淚 think one of the key things about [being able to conduct independent research] was being more confident in my own skills, and the more science knowledge I had led me to getting there.鈥�

Results proved elusive

Previous scientific studies have observed VOCs released from plastics. VOCs, Kelliher explained, 鈥渁re just the organic compounds that naturally volatilize into the air, so it's how we get all sorts of scents and whatnot.鈥� Kelliher aimed to measure these compounds from polyethylene and polypropylene, the two most commonly manufactured plastics, using the Fourier-transfer ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer at University Lyon 1, which can detect radio waves emitted by molecules like VOCs. 

Unfortunately, she was unable to identify a meaningful number of VOCs with the equipment. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 getting many results. I think my sample size was too small to actually get enough data,鈥� Kelliher explained. 鈥淎ll my results were saying there's stuff here, but there's not enough for it to be statistically significant.鈥�

The limited time Kelliher had in Lyon to work with the equipment also affected her study. 鈥淚f I had spent more time there, I probably could have figured out the correct sample size, or the correct method, but it really came down to my time limit.鈥� 

Undeterred, Kelliher aims to continue her studies after UAA and apply to graduate school to study biochemistry or medicinal chemistry. She credits her internship studying VOCs in Lyon with 鈥渉elping me gain the knowledge to bridge the gap of where I'm going to head with my career.鈥�