Project Mentor
Dr. Mayu Inaba
Cell Biology
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description
| Project Description | Drosophila genetic crosses. Perform basic immuno-histochemical experiments (preparation of melanogaster tissues for imaging and confocal microscope imaging). Live imaging of stem cell division, behavior of cellular organelle and cell-cell communications. Molecular cloning and mutagenesis in E coli and preparation of vectors for transgenesis in D. melanogaster. |
| Project Direction | Tissue stem cells are localized at the specialized environment called “niche” in each tissue of multicellular organisms, including the human body. Stem cell-niche signaling has to be carefully regulated. Too much niche signal may lead to tumorigenesis, while too little signal causes tissue degeneration. Our lab explore the cellular and molecular mechanism of niche-stem cell interaction using a simple and sophisticated model system, Drosophila melanogaster germline stem cells. |
| Mentorship and Supervision | I will provide several ideas of projects so that the student can select one of them to work on and I will help to design experiments. I would like to have at least once in a week discussion to monitor progress and project orientation. I will conduct the experiment together with students until they become comfortable to perform by themselves. I will be always available for technical help and discussion. |
| Student Qualifications |
|
| Academic Year Time Commitment | 6-9 hours/week |
| Schedule Options | To be determined in consultation with selected student |
| Project Continuation | Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Summer 2018 |
| Possible Thesis Project | Yes |
Application
Submit an online application for this research opportunity using the form below. The application deadline is Friday, February 24, 2017.
This application requires a resume or CV and a brief statement of research interests.