Emily Chen
Mary Gates Research Scholar
Autumn 2021
Major: Biology (General)
Mentor: Daniel Promislow, Department of Lab Medicine & Pathology
Project
Identification of Genes Responsible for Methylation of KRAS G12V Mutant Antigen
In humans, the KRAS gene acts as a switch to regulate cell growth. Mutations to this gene can cause uncontrollable cell growth. My lab, the Greenberg lab, uses Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) as a way to engineer T cells to specifically target antigens on the surface of tumor cells. The KRAS antigen is frequently post-translationally modified. In my project, I’m going to use a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library to study the potential pathways associated with KRAS methylation.
What I learned
Through this project, I have learned all of the skills required to carry out wet lab research. From learning how to culture tumor and T cells to learning how to isolate DNA/proteins from those cells, and everything in between. I’ve also learned many organizational skills such as how to design and carry out experiments.
Advice for future applicants
My advice for future Mary Gates Research applicants is to get involved in something that you’re interested in! Find professors who are doing work that you would like to learn more about, and reach out. It never hurts to ask for more information or to express your interest in their work. This can spark really interesting conversations and even help you find a lab that would fit you best. It can be difficult at first, but it’s definitely worth the effort. The Mary Gates Scholar community is awesome and a great scholarship to apply to!
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