Presentation Outline

Hey guys, just an update:

I've finished up my data collection, and I'm finishing my lab report.

As I've been finalizing my presentation, I've been finding that I can rephrase things more concisely, and as a better way to give context to my presentation.

SUMMARY:
I've been working as a volunteer research assistant in the lab of Professor Johnny Fares of the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona. The research team aims to study lysosomal biogenesis and what can go wrong during the process. Improper lysosomal biogenesis can give rise to lysosomal storage diseases such as Mucolipidosis Type IV (MLIV). MLIV affects about 1 in 40,000 people and is caused by mutations in the gene MCOLN1 that codes for the protein TRPML-1. Patients experience neuronal death, deterioration of the retina, and insufficient production of stomach acid. There's no way to study the disease in humans, but it can be modeled in the nematode C. elegans which has the protein CUP-5 (coded for by the gene cup-5) that functions identically to TRPML-1.

In addition to CUP-5, MRP-4  (a transporter protein) is also involved in endocytosis. When mutations only in cup-5 are present, the nematodes present with abnormally large and leaky lysosomes die. Previous research shows that when CUP-5 and MRP-4 are both absent, the nematodes present with normal-sized lysosomes and live. We don't know if the double mutants's lysosomes are normal sized if because they're functioning properly or because lysosomes are leaking more and returning to their normal size. 

I helped conduct biochemical analysis for the localization of CPR-6, a protease that should only be found in lysosomes. I sampled from C. elegans eggs' lysosomes and cytoplasm with membrane fractionation. I helped detect and quantify the amount of CPR-6 in our samples by running Western immunoblots and analyzing the film in the software ImageJ. 

I'll talk more about the results when I present on Thursday, May 8.
 

Hope to see you then!