Project Mentor
Dr. Corey Acker
Department of Cell Biology
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description
| Project Description | The student will support testing of new voltage-sensitive dyes using cell culture assays. Custom fluorescence microscopy equipment is used along with patch clamp electrophysiology to control and monitor the voltage inside cells, including human stem cell derived heart cells, by recording voltage changes optically as well as electrically. MATLAB is used for all aspects, from hardware control to data analysis. |
| Project Direction | Probes such as voltage-sensitive dyes allow researchers to study electrically excitable cells, tissues, and organs including the heart and brain. By developing better probes we hope to better enable a broad range of neuroscience and cardiac researchers studying human disorders of the brain and heart. |
| Mentorship and Supervision | Student will receive direct training and supervision from Dr. Acker until familiar with cell culture, electrophysiology, and microscopy tools in the lab. Once familiar, student will work independently to perform testing of dyes and application procedures. Specific engineering projects to change or improve the systems will be determined during the internship and will likely be carried out together with the supervisor. Student will attend regular biweekly lab meetings where both chemistry and engineering are discussed and will present progress by the end of the internship. |
| Student Qualifications | General engineering. Signals and Systems. Circuits. Programming, especially MATLAB. Cell culture. Microscopy. |
| Summer Schedule Options | Research Dates: May 26 to July 31, 2020 Schedule: M-F, 9am-5pm |
| Project Continuation | Fall 2020, Spring 2021 |
| Academic Year Time Commitment | 6-9 hours/week |
| Possible Thesis Project | Yes |
Application
Submit an online application for this research opportunity at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/HRP20-1. The application deadline is Monday, February 3, 2020.
This application requires a resume or CV, an unofficial transcript, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests.