2025 SURF Spotlight on Nicholas Ndreca
Thursday, Jun 19, 2025
Chemistry major Nicholas Ndreca is one of just a select handful of talented Florida Atlantic undergraduate students who are on campus this summer. Ndreca was chosen to participate in the Florida Atlantic Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry’s (OURI) annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. This 10-week, intensive summer immersion research experience is open to Florida Atlantic undergraduate students and faculty mentors across all colleges and disciplines. In addition, each SURF award allocates $4,000 in support of each chosen project.
Student fellow: Nicholas Ndreca
Faculty mentor: Associate Professor, Ilyas Yildirim, Ph.D.
Research project: “Creation of a Structural Database for Nitrogen-Based Aromatic Bicyclic Small Molecules Interacting with 1x1 RNA Internal Loops”
What is the goal of your study?
My research focuses on the dynamic docking and interactions of small-molecule drugs on 1x1 RNA CUG internal loop structures, along with studying the folding and dynamics of RNA CUG single-strands, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in AMBER to aid in computational drug design for “undruggable” diseases, like myotonic dystrophy. The goal of the study is to create a library database of over 20 different hetero-bicyclic molecules that can be used as scaffolds to bind to 1x1 RNA internal loops to treat RNA-based conditions. I aim to gain research experience in a groundbreaking field like drug design, so that I will be a more competitive graduate school applicant.
Why is this research relevant?
One of my closest friends—who actually goes to Florida Atlantic—has a muscular disorder. I hope that my research will be able to create drugs that will improve the outcomes and lives of disabled people, especially those with muscular disorders.
How does your mentor help guide/support you?
Dr. Yildirim provides me with so much help and training, from Linux and AMBER tutorials to tutorials on how to perform dynamic docking of small molecules and MD simulations. He is always so approachable and transparent. I am lucky to have a principal investigator (PI) who is so helpful and nice. He is truly a one-of-a-kind PI and the best mentor I could ever ask for.
Why is the SURF program a great experience?
It reinforces that my research is important, so much so that my own university recognizes it and is willing to financially support and invest in it. Furthermore, it allows me to develop valuable research skills in a prestigious and groundbreaking research group, like Dr. Yildirim’s RNA Dynamics Lab.
How has the program supported your research?
This program was able to invest up to $4,000 into my research, which means a lot since the research we do is very computationally expensive!