Rohan Patel

Influenza viruses affect millions of people annually. Vaccines against influenza viruses are effective but need to be administered every year resulting in decreased compliance and reduced vaccination rates. Studying viral pathogens and understanding the biological implications of viral infections is essential to help create more effective vaccines, which improve national and global health. The aim of this study was to establish the optimal conditions for an influenza A viral infection in MDCK (canine) cells, which can help researchers study viral infections in the lab more efficiently. MDCK cells were grown in a T-75 flask and grouped by 3000, 5000, and 7000 cells per well in a 96-well plate. They were then infected with PR8-NS-split-P2.1, a strain of influenza A virus. TPCK, a protein that enhances cell infection, was added to half the groups of cells. An image cytometer (Celigo) was used to gather immunofluorescence data on percent infection. The results indicated that 5000 cells/well with the presence of TPCK was the optimal condition for an influenza A viral infection in MDCK cells. The average percent infection for the 5000 cells/well was 98.88% with TPCK, compared to 76.70% without TPCK. These optimal conditions can be used for future experiments aimed at determining the function of a viral protein. 

Science Research Award (2020-2021) 

Terra NYC STEM Fair Participant (2023) 

NY Metro region JSHS Semifinalist (2023) 

Link to paper