Gene editing, brain slicing, and glowing proteins, all in the pursuit of improved treatment for a disease that has befuddled the medical community for years. Methods like this used to be the stuff of science fiction. Now, it’s just another day in the life for Tyler Smith, an IGB Woese Undergraduate Research Scholar majoring in molecular and cellular biology. 

Growing up in North Aurora, IL, Smith was exposed to a wide range of scientific fields from an early age.