Bo-kyung Kim, master's student in the research team of Professor Chul-hwan Park (Chemical Engineering) “Selected for the Advanced Course of [Support Program for Female Graduate Student Engineering Research Teams] by the 2024 WISET

- Aims to synthesize puerarin ester to improve the properties of natural antioxidant substance, puerarin -

- Plans to derive optimal conditions for puerarin ester synthesis and design the process ？

The research team of Professor Chul-hwan Park (Department of Chemical Engineering) at Kwangwoon University announced that Bo-kyung Kim, a master's student (Advisor: Professor Chul-hwan Park) has been selected for the advanced course of [Support Program for Female Graduate Student Engineering Research Teams] by the 2024 WISET (Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology).  Advanced course. This program aims to foster talented female students in science and technology, and enhance research capabilities and leadership through self-directed research and development by research teams composed of female graduate students and graduate students in science and technology, and to support outstanding female students to enter the field of study.

Bo-kyung Kim was selected for the program because of the originality of her research topic, "Enzymatic synthesis and process design of puerarin ester,"  and systematic content structure.

Puerarin, a natural flavonoid antioxidant, is a high value-added substance with various physiological activities such as antioxidation, antimicrobial properties, anti-aging effects, and anticancer properties, but it is known to have low bioavailability due to low solubility in lipids and stability, limiting its industrial application.

To address this issue, Bo-kyung Kim and Professor Chul-hwan Park suggested that it is necessary to conduct research on proposing strategies to improve the properties of puerarin, as well as its economic feasibility and practicality. Bo-kyung Kim, along with three undergraduate students, plans to optimize material synthesis using biocatalysts and simulate processes.

In 2023, when she was a senior of her undergraduate studies, Bo-kyung Kim received the encouragement award at the 17th College of Engineering Academic Festival (Chemical Engineering category) and the 2023 MY (Multi-Y) Capstone Design Contest hosted by Kwangwoon University.  She also received the Grand Prize at the online press corps of 2023 "Get to Know Bio!" hosted by the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering.

Undergraduate students who will collaborate with Bo-kyung Kim in the research team are also conducting research on advanced bio-functional materials under Professor Chul-hwan Park's guidance in Biochemical Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Kwangwoon University. Bo-kyung Kim, who will lead the research project and generate new ideas, expressed her ambitious aspirations, saying, "By conducting this research project, I will develop technology that can improve the properties of flavonoids and become a prominent female talent in STEM.

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[(From top left) Bo-kyung Kim, Chul-hwan Park (advisor)]