My Internship
My Research with Dr. Bo Zhao
Project Summary
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most prevalent type of hearing loss. This is caused by damage to the inner ear and nerves to the brain. The leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss is simply aging, which affects the cilia in the ear overtime. This in turn causes permanent damage and hearing cannot be restored. There's no cure, however there are treatments and assistive devices. As discussed, the cochlear hair cells are role players in hearing; converting auditory stimuli into electrical signals to the brain to process. Sensorineural hearing loss can also be caused by genetic predisposition. Hearing loss has been connected to approximately 135 genetic loci, with approximately 60 impacted genes identified, however these genes' functions haven't been well studied. In Dr. Zhao's lab, we are currently evaluating interactions between proteins from collected cochlear hair cell tissue. Dr. Zhao is also looking into the functions of current known hearing loss-genes, as well as assessing how other genes could be linked to hair cell damage. This will help in the goal to fabricate therapeutic treatments for sensorineural hearing loss caused by hair damage.
Recent Research
In our recent research, our major finding is in the drug, cisplatin. Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug that is used around the world. Cisplatin is a drug used for a variety of cancers, more prominently testicular and ovarian cancer. Other types of cancers include lung, bladder, and cervical cancer. It is one of the most powerful chemotherapeutic drugs; with that being powerful effects. Some of the side effects of cisplatin include nausea, bruising, reduction of white blood cells, and most importantly, hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss occurs in around half of patients who use cisplatin. The process of mechanotransduction allows for the uptake of cisplatin and causes ototoxicity.
Knowing this information, our lab has studied the affects of blocking mechanotransduction in mice. We have observed that more hair cells were protected from the effects of cisplatin. The effects were monitored by using a fluorescent-dye cisplatin. Some mice had mechanotransduction genetically inhibited, while some didn't.
Learning and Skills
Being a part of this internship has not only furthered my laboratory skills, but has also allowed me to incorporate my previous knowledge of cell and molecular biology and mechanisms. More specifically, I have become more experienced with purifying antibodies, Western blotting, photoshopping, and counting cells. I have also gotten to practice more basic procedures, such as sterility and how to use specific equipment in the lab, as well as how to clean it. It helps me apply this knowledge in future lab classes, as well as being able to apply lecture material into lab findings. This helps me with my current classes because in every biology lab, there's a continuous need to blot and detect proteins present in a specimen. Using this in real-world research helps me gain a more in depth understanding of why we do it in class, since I apply it everyday at work. When I am learning about a new subject in class pertaining to something similar I have done in the lab, it becomes easier to grasp the idea of whatever I am studying by relating it to my work.
My Contributions
For our most recent findings, I have contributed by accessing the pictures of fluorescent cells after cisplatin exposure, mutant hair cell immunity, and the blocking of mechanotransduction. To count the survived cells, I had to individually count every mice's cell count, lengths, tissue, and cells per um. This required me to apply mathematical formulas from previous classes I have taken. This also helped me learn to allocate my time more efficiently and not get distracted. There were hundreds of cells to measure and I gradually became better at my productivity and procrastinated my work less. Doing this also really helped with my photoshop skills and using applications to get better laboratory pictures. Through the experiences with western blotting, purifying antibodies, autoclaving, lyophilization, and more essential laboratory duties; I have learned a lot of new skills and have been able to apply previous knowledge into my research.
The Workplace
The workplace in a professional laboratory widely differs from classes that I have taken. The most prominent difference is the amount of teamwork, as well as trial and error. In a class setting, there is more liberty in relying on your peers' help and finishing things together, as well as communicating outside of class with peers on their results and how they did something. In a professional setting, however, most of the time you can only rely on yourself and what you've been taught. There is not much communication while performing experiments in my lab, with the exception of asking for help every once in a while. For the most part, though, everyone plays their own role and is expected to have a strong understanding of what they're doing. Another major difference is the amount of trial and error allowed in running experiments; with in a class being much higher than in a real lab. The equipment utilized in a professional lab is expensive and limited, as well as the time. It is important to do the experiments well without needing to run it multiple times again. In a class, it is not a big deal since its goal is to solely practice a new procedure.
