Joel Groves
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Xin Tong
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Molecular & Integrative Physiology / Medicine
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Xin Tong, Joel Groves
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a degenerative disease of the liver, where fatty scar tissue accumulates severely debilitating the effectiveness of the liver system. The disease has genetic influences, and in our research project we explore the preliminary setting of refining and secluding certain genes that may have an effect in stimulating liver fibrosis. This process is incredibly long and complex and this project focused on plasmid creation and verification. Firstly, we conduct transformations of the LacZ gene into plasmid cells (via pAD-cmv then pIRES) where we will then through PCR amplification, transformation and western blot measure the success of the LacZ insertion into the bacterial cell. This is done by the use of PCR which amplifies the DNA that encodes for the LacZ gene that is then transformed into the necessary plasmid cells. These plasmid cells through GFP testing (fluorescence) and the use of western blot (testing protein expression) are confirmed to have a LacZ insertion. The pIRES (necessary for mammalian insertion) LacZ insertion is then transfected into mammalian cells which will then allow for adenovirus creation. The creation of the adenovirus is what will be used to predict whether LacZ genomic changes will result in changes in liver fibrosis rate. LacZ acts as a negative control in virus experiments, where it is run alongside other changed genes of interest to study the genomic effects of these variable genes. Overall, our project is expected to produce no change in liver fibrosis, but is a key tool in investigating the effects of other principle genes.
