Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF) Story: Bashir Sbaiti

Author: Bashir Sbaiti

What was your major research question for the DSRF project and where do you hope this project will go?

My major research question was whether our two-dimensional electronic spectra (2DES) simulation software could be expanded to model biological light-harvesting systems. Over the summer, I successfully implemented this capability, generating spectra that represent photosynthetic quantum dynamics for the first time and gaining confidence in quantum dynamics simulations. This outcome opens new directions for my senior thesis, where I plan to test whether a neural network can extract excited state reaction rates, and it sets the stage for future research at the intersection of quantum simulations and biology.

What challenges did you encounter during your research and how did you work through these difficulties?

The process of learning the theories of quantum dynamics and open quantum systems did not come easily, and many papers and exercises took me a long time to work through. However, because I was able to dedicate my full efforts to this over the summer and have multiple meetings with my mentor and other lab mates, I was able to successfully overcome this obstacle.

What sparked your interest in this field?

I've always been interested in uncovering the secrets of how life works on a molecular scale. In my first few years in the Beratan group, I got to explore this interest by learning about the powerful theories that describe the process of photosynthesis at the level of electrons. However, it was only during my DSRF summer project that I had the opportunity to delve deeply into how these theories work and to gain hands-on experience in developing simulations from the ground up!

Curious about DSRF?

This project was made possible through the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)—a unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to pursue funded summer research full-time!