Max Scheinfeld
Max Scheinfeld
Class of 2025
Embedded Files
Project: Developing RNA-Targeting Tools to Dissect the Function of lncRNA ANRIL
Project: Developing RNA-Targeting Tools to Dissect the Function of lncRNA ANRIL
Mentor: Dr. Kristin Baldwin and Luis Padilla Santiago, Columbia University
Mentor: Dr. Kristin Baldwin and Luis Padilla Santiago, Columbia University
3rd place in Medicine and Health, Semifinals, New York-Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium ‘25
Entrant, Regeneron Science Talent Search ‘25
Entrant, Terra NYC STEM Fair ‘25
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the world. While some kinds of heart disease are preventable, genetic predisposition to heart disease is not. Previous research has found that ANRIL is a gene that causes up to 15% of all genetic heart disease. ANRIL comes in two forms, long ANRIL and short ANRIL, with the short form being connected to heart disease. One potential method of treatment is destroying the DNA that codes for ANRIL with the popular DNA editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. CRISPR/Cas9 works in a lab setting to prevent heart disease, but it is not realistic in people due to other detrimental effects of destroying DNA.
In this study, I targetted the ANRIL RNA, which has never been suppressed in human beings before. I used human kidney cells for my experiments and I made genetic code to help my Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASOs), my method of finding and destroying RNA, locate the ANRIL RNA. After this, I dropped the ASOs into the human kidney cells with ANRIL being expressed.
I found that it is possible to knock down the both short and long ANRIL RNA, which will allow for animal testing and eventually a drug cure for individuals genetically predisposed to heart disease. This will take several years, but will lead to individuals who currently can’t do anything about their genetic predisposition not having to worry as much about a sudden CAD attack.
[36x48] poster - Maximilian Scheinfeld.pdfQ & A with Max
Q & A with Max
The most satisfying part of your research project?
Working with the cells and the satisfaction I felt when I had completed everything perfectly. Over the time at the lab, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I got better and faster with mini prep, midi prep, and cell culture work made me feel prideful. I also started with making some mistakes when I first started at the lab, which ended up causing me to have to re-do steps which caused several more days of work, but I improved at that as well, so my improvement as well as the steps were both satisfying to me.
Coolest part of your research project?
Knowing that what I am doing will be helping real people. The fact that I was working with HEK293T cells, and the fact that what I found will down the line lead to being able to help real people with Genetic Coronary Artery Disease.
What inspired you to choose this topic?
I was inspired due to being interested in the concept of gene editing technology and CRISPR ever since I had learned about it when I was younger, as well as the fact that in my family heart issues have been present and I wanted to address them. I initially was not sure if it would be possible to incorporate these two seemingly separate interests together, but I found that it is possible to incorporate them together.
What were some of your fears and worries when you applied to ASR, and what would you say to younger students who have them?
The fears that I had were that I am not good enough of a person and that I was like a fraud in that I didn’t know how to prepare myself for this kind of thing and that everyone around me had it all figured out. It took a long time for me to cope with this, but as time went on I realized we were all struggling in our own way, my advice to the younger students is just to tough it out, no matter how bad the storm is persist through it, I think Winnie the Pooh said it best “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” I would tell younger students to stay calm and think that they can do anything.
What’s a misconception that people have about ASR or ASR students?
A misconception is that everyone in it is a huge nerd with no life, but we all have lives that are not just rotating around ASR.
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