Nature to Medicine: A Research-Based Chemistry Camp for Emerging Scientists

Austin Peay State University, College of STEM announces its  Nature to Medicine:  A Research-Based Chemistry Camp for Emerging Scientists.
This camp immerses students in chemical research using university-level laboratory facilities and instrumentation.  Throughout the week, participants will complete a full research project beginning with the extraction of natural products from plant materials, followed by analytical characterization, and then student-friendly bacterial assays designed to explore the potential health-related medicinal properties of the extracted compounds.  In parallel with laboratory research, students will participate in structured instructional sessions that introduce essential scientific practices, including laboratory safety, experimental design, data analysis, literature searching, basic organic chemistry, scientific readying, and scientific writing.  These sessions are designed to reinforce core chemical concepts while helping students understand how scientific discoveries are developed, documented, and communicated.  Alongside the chemistry research activities, students will also explore diverse chemistry career pathways through features and presentation from members of the American Chemical Society (ACS) local section.  Students will receive close mentoring from APSU chemistry faculty, trained undergraduate researchers, and ACS volunteers as they gain confidence working in a chemistry research environment.

Drs. Anuradha Pathiranage and Dr. Laura Chamness of the APSU Department of Chemistry will lead the camp.

The camp will be 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. each day and is $300 for the week with supplies, snacks and lunches provided. 
For more information or to register for any of the camps, visit the College of STEM’s summer camps webpage.
This includes the full day camp, lunch, snacks & drinks and T-shirt
Students are asked to bring their own water bottle
Open to grades 8 - 12.
July 27 to July 31, 2026 :: 8:30am-4:00pm :: Monday through Friday :: 5 days
Application deadline: June 1, 2026.