Major: Neuroscience Research Department: Cell Biology Graduation Date: December 2019
Abstract:The Effect of Telomerase Substrate Precursor 6-Thio-2’-Deoxyguanosine in Three-Dimensional Cell Culture System of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems have become increasingly important in cancer cell biology research. Cancer cells in 3D culture have unique characteristics when compared with traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture. 3D culture better mimics the tumor microenvironment, allowing it to be a promising bridge between 2D culture and animal experiments. In this series of studies, we tested the effects of 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine (6-thio-dG) in 3D cell culture system of NSCLC cell lines. 6- thio-dG, a nucleoside, is very effective in rapidly killing telomerase positive cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, but not normal telomerase silent cells, with minimal cytotoxic side effects to normal tissue. Email:[email protected]
What does research mean to you? Research is an opportunity for me to apply the concepts that I learned in my undergraduate science classes in a practical context. Tell us about your journey. I believe this program strengthened my knowledge, skills, and understanding of the dynamic research process. By working full-time in a research lab, I was able to get a glimpse of (hopefully) my future academic life. Through data analysis of the experiments that I conducted, I gained a thorough understanding of scientific writing. Throughout presentations and attending seminars, I learned from the researchers how to present data as well as increase my own communication skills and effectively present my own data. I appreciated being under experienced mentors who have already made great contributions to their field.
Advice for Future Green Fellows
Come to lab every day with a desire to learn. Do not be afraid to ask your PI for feedback and assistance. Read research articles in your free time. Go to WIPs (works in progress talks) with your lab members. Keep a careful log of all the assays you conduct each day in your scientific notebook.