Need help honing research project

[reesabp]

Hi all,

I found out that I will have access to feline tissue and organs to test on as well as some other resources. I will have cancerous growth, tumours, and possibly reproductive organs carrying feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). I will have access to an electron microscope and many pieces of equipment for cell/mol bio research. The only problem is that I need help focusing my research. What could I do with these resources? I need help! I may also have access to the same canine tissues and organs.

Thanks,
Reese

[reesabp]

Hi all,

I really would like some help. Could someone please help me with this? I will be very appreciative!

Thanks,
Reese

[heatherL]

Hi Reese,

It is difficult for experts to come up with a project idea for you, since what is most important is what interests you. Are you working with a mentor in a research lab? Are there interesting research questions being answered in the research lab? Are there specific questions that interest you?

Based on the resources you have, I can think of a few interesting questions that you might be able to answer with the help of a mentor. I came up with a few, but I suggest you pick only one for your project.
1. Characterize the microscopic structure of FIV. What allows it to infect its host cells?
2. Are canine cells susceptible to infection by FIV? If not, what might be different about them (e.g., no cellular surface receptor for the virus to recognize). If so, does it mean that dogs could get FIV?
3. Are cancerous feline cells more or less susceptible to infection by FIV compared to non-cancerous cells? Why or why not?

These are just a few ideas that came into my head. You could see if one of these ideas sounds interesting to you, or whether they help you come up with an idea of your own.

Please post again (in this same thread) if you have more questions or need feedback on your ideas.

Heather

[reesabp]

First, thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

Second, I was wondering, how do I find out what has not been researched about yet. I really want to do something novel with my research, and I know that I want to do something with these cells that has possible human implications (if possible at all). I know that is still vague, but how do I find out what has not been researched upon yet, or what still needs clarification.

Third, I will definitely look into the questions you have given me. They look great!


Thanks again, I look forward to hearing from you,

Reese

[heatherL]

Hi Reese,

The best way to find out what has been researched is to search on the internet, especially the scientific literature. I like using Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com) to look for articles. Even seeing just the abstracts (summaries) is enough to get an idea of what has been done.

If you are working with a mentor - which you really should for any kind of cell culture or microbial work with viruses - then you can also ask your mentor whether he or she knows about research related to the question that interests you. Because scientists go to conferences and know a lot of other researchers, they often know about research in progress (before it is published).

Here are some tips from Science Buddies for conducting your background research: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-f ... plan.shtml

Good luck!

Heather