Kauais lab superstar

LIHUE A 2004 graduate of Kauai High School is making waves for his discoveries related to cone sea snails and their venom.

Chino Cabalteja, a masters student in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at UH Manoa, received the 2014 UHM Student Excellence in Research Award. The recognition comes from the students work in Dr. Jon Paul Binghams lab in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, according to a press release.

Im very honored to have received this award, Cabalteja said. Its not every day that you get recognized for something that you love doing. Hopefully, it motivates me to strive harder and contribute back to the community some day.

Cabalteja was honored last week during a campus-wide ceremony and will be recognized again on Friday during CTAHRs awards banquet at the Ala Moana Hotel.

Described as a lab superstar by one of his student colleagues, Cabalteja is currently researching the bioengineering of conotoxins, bioactive peptides from the venom of Conus sea snails, the college wrote in a release. Cone snail venom is being investigated for its many possible applications, from the potential design of drugs with specific pharmacological properties to agricultural pesticides.

Instead of having to harvest the venom from the snails, which is still being done today, Cabalteja is also able to recreate the conotoxin in the lab, formulating it amino acid by amino acid, the release stated. An interesting discovery arising from his research is that human-made conotoxins have different configurations than those that are created naturally by the snails, the discovery that led to his award.

Coming from Kauai, Cabalteja first day at UH was the first time he had any real lab exposure. He arrived as a microbiology major, wanting to learn more about the state of human disease, and later developed an interest in biochemistry, he said.

When asked what he thought about being called a lab superstar, Cabalteja laughed.

I think theyre giving me way too much credit, he told The Garden Island. Everybody works really hard in our lab. Its a very collaborative environment Im really happy because I found a very supportive lab, with good guidance from my colleagues.

Bill Arakaki, the Kauai Area Complex superintendent, described Cabaltejas work, and recent award, as terrific.

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Kauais lab superstar