ProChem Welcomes Summer Intern Alexandre Sahel
A long-held ambition to study in the U.S. brought Alexandre Sahel from Aix-en-Provence in southern France to Rockford University four years ago to study biochemistry – a major perfectly suited for someone who couldn’t imagine choosing between his interests in both biology and chemistry. His undergraduate experience has already included
meaningful research under Professor Kari Severson, working on characterizing a gene on the plasmid of Acinetobacter beijerinickii, to gain insight into the gene’s potential function(s). Dr. Severson’s connection to ProChem – and her recommendation – ultimately opened the door to his summer internship here.
A Summer of Discovery in the Lab
Alexandre has been eager to broaden his experience beyond the biological side of the field. When asked why he chose to spend his summer at ProChem, he explained that he wanted hands-on exposure to inorganic chemistry and real chemical synthesis, something he believes will strengthen both his skill set and his future graduate studies. That motivation made ProChem a natural fit.
Now midway through his internship, Alexandre is active in process development R&D for custom projects, working closely with our Director of Processes & Engineering, Justin Severson, as well as learning how to synthesize some of our catalog products such as the dihydrate and anhydrous forms of Zinc bromide. He has been impressed by the range of analytical tools in the ProChem labs – many of which he had never encountered before in his previous research – and has spent quite a bit of time learning to operate the TGA and expanding his understanding of thermal analysis.
“Every week here teaches me something new – the hands-on work and the support from the team are helping me grow in ways the classroom never could.”
Beyond the Bench
Outside the lab, Alexandre enjoys reading – he’s currently working his way through Mistborn. And when he imagines the future of his scientific career, he’s drawn to challenges with real human impact: cancer research and diabetes research are two areas where he hopes to contribute someday.
As Alexandre continues his final weeks with us, the impact of his work is already clear. His curiosity and willingness to dive into new challenges have made him a valuable part of our summer team. ProChem is grateful for the contributions he has made so far, and we look forward to seeing where his academic and scientific ambitions take him next.