A chemistry student from Brandon University is set to travel to Germany this summer to take part in high-level beer research, marking a significant milestone both for her academic career and for her university.
Kendal Giesbrecht, a fourth-year honours chemistry student, has been awarded a RISE-GlobaLink Research Internship, a prestigious program that places 250 undergraduates from around the world in top German research institutions each year. Chosen from a competitive pool of 2,500 applicants, Giesbrecht is the first student from Brandon University to receive this scholarship.
The internship will take Giesbrecht to Dresden University of Technology, where she will spend two months studying amino acid release during the beer brewing process. Her research will focus on the behavior of methionine and selenomethionine — essential amino acids involved in various human physiological functions — during different stages of brewing, including milling, fermentation, and filtration.
“This is incredibly exciting,” said Dr. Bernadette Ardelli, vice-president of research and graduate studies at Brandon University. “Kendal’s work contributes to international research with potential real-world applications and highlights the vital role of undergraduate researchers in advancing scientific knowledge.”
The project uses a mock brewing setup, allowing Giesbrecht to collect samples at various stages of the process. She will analyze the samples using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, advanced techniques that allow for precise identification and separation of components.
The findings may have broader implications for food and beverage production, offering insights into how to enhance the nutritional value of products by understanding where essential nutrients are retained or lost during processing.
Giesbrecht’s path to this opportunity began with a childhood curiosity for mixing household items, which evolved into a passion for chemistry in high school. That passion solidified during her undergraduate studies, particularly through hands-on lab work.
In 2024, she completed a co-op placement with Pfizer in Brandon, which helped fulfill her university’s work-study requirements. She had been offered a return position this summer before receiving news of the RISE scholarship.
“Kendal has been an outstanding student in the co-op program,” said Cora Dupuis, co-operative program coordinator at Brandon University. “Her curiosity, enthusiasm and professionalism have been evident from the beginning.”
Although the internship will be research-intensive, it won’t be all work. Giesbrecht is scheduled to work weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with weekends off, allowing time for travel and exploration. Her supervisor in Germany has already begun sharing travel suggestions.
The opportunity also holds personal significance for Giesbrecht, whose paternal family has German roots. Visiting Germany has been a long-standing dream, one she once envisioned as a backpacking trip with her cousin.
With her upcoming journey, Giesbrecht not only advances her own career in chemistry but also brings recognition to Brandon University’s role in international scientific collaboration.
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