Aditi Prabhu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Research Mentor(s): Mehboob Hussain
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Internal Medicine, Metabolism, Endocrinology, Diabetes / Medicine
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Oral5
Session: Session 5 – 3:40pm – 4:30 pm
Room: Breakout Room 5
Authors:
Presenter: 5
Abstract
I work in the Hussain Lab which focuses on research related to Type 2 diabetes. Specifically, we study the factors that cause the failure of beta cells. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar isn’t regulated because there is not enough insulin in the body. Beta cells are located in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas and they produce insulin. We are studying this by inducing type 2 diabetes in healthy mice by feeding them a high fat diet to cause obesity, mimicking what occurs in humans who develop diabetes. Using the model we are able to study the role of genes by taking mice with the homozygous mutant allele of the genes of interest and feeding them a high fat diet. We are then able to take blood and tissue samples of these diabetic mice to analyze them at a molecular and cellular level. Some other techniques that are used in the lab are polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, immunohistochemistry. PCR and gel electrophoresis are used to genotype the mice and determine which allele the mice for the genes of interest. The lab mainly experiments on mice with the homozygous mutant alleles, so therefore we use PCR to digest the DNA and gel electrophoresis to be able to determine the band size of the allele that each mouse has. The band size for the wild type and mutant is different so the band size of each allows us to determine which alleles each mouse has. Therefore this allows us to compare the results from mutant and non mutated mice to determine which is which. Immunohistochemistry is used to observe certain antigens in the mice. This research is all done for the purpose of eventually being able to develop a medication that prevents the failure of beta cells, thus preventing diabetes.
Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary, Natural/Life Sciences
