Evaluation of DNA damage

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deleted-359324
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Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by deleted-359324 »

Hello,

A few weeks ago I won my regional science fair and got a few awards from colleges on my project on gel electrophoresis. I want to elaborate on that idea this year though I want to go that extra level, I don't have a definite idea for what my project will be, as I need a few questions answered so I can get into research. I plan on evaluating the effectiveness and genotoxicity of radiation therapy- though I have a few concerns on what technique to use. I was searching and came across the 'comet assay' which seems interesting, though I am sure there are many techniques that are more suited for DNA damage analysis. If anyone can help me find an appropriate technique to research and use I would appreciate it. And a few pieces of advice for were to research would be superb.

Also, if anyone has some advice for my project I would appreciate it, I am leaning towards a project that is on cancer therapy and it's effects on cell but I still don't know how I am going to incorporate that into a project- I would rather a more advanced approach as I will be working on this all summer (the next fair is April 2017)
SciB
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by SciB »

Hi,

Cancer treatment is a really broad area with a huge amount of research that has been published. Radiation therapy is just one of many ways to kill cancer cells. Its main drawback is that it also destroys healthy cells and the DNA damage that it causes can also lead to cancer. The latest methods for treating tumor cells rely on targeting those cells only and sparing noncancerous cells: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/targeted-ca ... ns-answers

Cancer prevention is also a very important area of research. DNA mutations are one way that cells become abnormal and this DNA damage can be caused by UV from sunlight or other sources, certain chemicals in the environment or our food or pollutants in the air. Do antioxidants and compounds such as curcumin prevent cancer? There's a lot of research that supports this hypothesis but most of it has been done in lab animals or cultured cells--not in humans.

If you could narrow down your interests to a few specific areas it would be really helpful. We also need to know what lab resources you have access to. It is easy to think up great experiments, but if you don't have the equipment and supplies to do them you're just wasting your time. Do some more reading and post again.

Good luck!

Sybee
PharmaMan
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by PharmaMan »

Hello, and thank you for your question.

As Sybee mentioned, it is best to assess what resources you have available in order to perform experiments that may be quite complex. DNA damage through radiation therapy can be assessed in a laboratory setting through experiments such as the comet assay as you mentioned, or by looking for molecular changes such as phosphorylation of the histone family member H2AX. However, these are typically done in a university-level laboratory, and you will need access to a facility that utilizes radiation therapy for research purposes.

Let us know more information about your accessibility to any resources and we can try to help you further.

Best,
Pharma
deleted-359324
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by deleted-359324 »

Hello,

I've asked my science teacher if she knew any professors that could help me with this project, and she had gave me the email to someone that will help pair me with an professor; though I do not know how to contact her (as in what to say). So my questions are, how would I mention that I need a mentor. I know I should give a background to what type of project I am planning on executing, but I don't have a solid idea.
:? I hope that comes out clear, I just am very confused on how to address the statement.


As for the radiation access, I plan on asking my mother(who is a registered nurse) or my aunt (who is a radiology technician) to see what they could do as they know some oncologists, radiologists, etc.
SciB
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by SciB »

Hi,

It's great that you have some possibilities of finding a mentor and a research lab to work in. I would not be that concerned about proposing a research project yourself. What professors are most interested in is your enthusiasm, dedication to science and willingness to spend a lot of hours in the lab. When someone agrees to let you work in their lab, they will have you do a project that fits in with the type of research that they specialize in. You can suggest different approaches to a project but the hypothesis will probably be decided by the mentor.

The person you mentioned in your previous post sounds like someone who will talk to you about your interests and how you think these can generate a project. You said you wanted to study the effects of radiation therapy on DNA damage in the patient. This fits in with the bigger theme of how to kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells. No cancer treatment is 100% specific for cancer cells but there have been great improvements in drugs and methods over the past 20 years. A combination of surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy is often used depending on the type and stage of the cancer.

So, talk to the interviewer as soon as possible. Lab work and the necessary skills takes lots of practice and attention to details and the sooner you start the better. You don't need to have a project worked out. You are interested in cancer therapy and the cell biology methods that scientists use to test potential treatments. Your basic intelligence, willingness to work hard, sincerity and honesty are the main things a mentor is looking for.

Let us know if you have some specific questions or are uncertain about some aspect of cancer biology. Do some reading on the web so you are familiar with the ways cancer researchers study the disease--primarily using cultured cells or animals. Human experiments are difficult and are always preceded by a lengthy study using stand-ins such as mice or tumor cell lines. Learn as much basic knowledge as you can, especially the scientific terms. We will help you if you get stuck.

Good luck!

Sybee
deleted-359324
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by deleted-359324 »

Hello,

I have gotten an email back, she had told me she plans in getting in touch with a research scientist that has research in cancer therapy. She had also mentioned that many students had studied in his lab for science fairs. Meanwhile I will be searching my local university's website to see if anyone will be doing such research in cancer therapy, I hope to have more information in the coming days so I can come up with an idea of what I will be researching.
Alinachem
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Re: Evaluation of DNA damage

Post by Alinachem »

It is important to distinguish between DNA damage and mutation, the two major types of error in DNA. DNA damage appears to be a fundamental problem for life. In many articles authors review evidence indicating that DNA damages are a major primary cause of cancer. APIs research has indicated a fact that DNA damages give rise to mutations and epimutations that, by a process of natural selection, can cause progression to cancer.
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