Investigating mutations in kinase CK2a in cancer:-Identifying hotspot and driver mutations-Predicting structural and functional changes -Comparing cancer prevalence with mutational tissue distribution

Summer Training as Research ScholarsInvestigated mutations in kinase CK2a in cancer:-Identified presumptive hotspot and driver mutations-Predicted structural and functional changes -Compared cancer prevalence with mutational tissue distributionInvestigated mutations in potentially ALT positive tumors and genes associated with the ALT pathway-prevalence of loss of function in ATRX and DAXX in different cancer types-genes co-mutated with ATRX and DAXX-role of SLIX4IP and SMARCAL1 -correlation between % copy number alteration and LOF mutationsMade poster and oral zoom presentation for both projects

Disruption of mating-type switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains by CRISPR/Cas9 for cell fusion-Used CRISPR/Cas9 technology for single point gene mutation -Techniques used: gel electrophoresis, PCR, DNA extraction, gel purification, DNA quantification, transformation, yeast and bacterial cell cultureMade poster, written, and recorded zoom presentation

Facilitate regularly scheduled, out-of-class, structured study sessions for Introduction to Biology and Human Anatomy-Help students apply learning strategies such as note taking, graphic organization, questioning techniques, vocabulary acquisition, problem solving, and test preparation as they review difficult course content

Cancer Research Summer Internship ProgramStudied the alternative splicing mechanisms of telomerase in non-small lung cancer cell lines-Determine splicing regulators of TERT in both NOVA1+ and NOVA1- cells -Understand mechanisms of low abundant splicing using TERT as a model-Techniques: siRNA, cell culture, PCR, RNA extraction, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, agarose gel electrophoresis, western blot, cell countingMade oral presentation

Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Biochemistry AdipoRon alters trafficking do free cholesterol in young adult mouse colonocytes-Characterize the effects of AdipoRon on Young Adult Mouse Colonocyte (YAMC) cell proliferation and viability/apoptosis -Determine how AdipoRon reduces plasma membrane rigidity-techniques: mammalian cell culture, edU assay, DNA staining, variety of staining and imagingMade written and oral presentationContributing author on a published article:

Assisted field technicians in collecting data on juvenile fish populations in the delta for the Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program-Techniques: beach seines, data entry, kodiak trawls, fish identification and measurement, environmental measurements

Crew member trained in every position in the store-drive thru 1, drive thru 2, counter, grill

Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines Summer Undergraduate Research ProgramDesigning a Protein Based Calcium (Ca+2) Sensor-designed protocol for mutant calmodulin protein expression-techniques: bacterial cell culture, bacterial transformation, cell lysis, gel electrophoresis, HPLC protein purification, introduction to mass spectroscopyMade Poster and oral presentation