C. Elegans as Model Organisms
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C. Elegans as Model Organisms
Hi! I am new to Science Buddies, but I thought this website could really help me in finding a research topic. In school, we are working with C. elegans and our teacher wants us to come up with an experiment to take to ISEF. I want to do something related to RNAi and blocking the translation of a protein to prevent a food source for a parasite. Does anyone have any ideas? it has to be a parasite that can be used in school or something that I can simulate in C. elegans. Please let me know; thank you.
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SciB
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Re: C. Elegans as Model Organisms
Hi Anni,
Glad to have you joining our forum.
I hope I can understand what you are asking and help you to find a way to do it. You said you have been working with the roundworm, C elegans, and that's a good subject for all kinds of studies.
I am familiar with RNA interference and what it can be used for but I did not understand what you wanted to do with regard to a parasite. Did you mean to somehow kill the parasite by preventing it from acquiring or digesting its food?
There are a myriad different types of parasites--some infect animals, some humans and others can even parasitize plants. I would have to know which one you have in mind to target. Then you would have to read a lot about it to understand how it ingests and digests its food if you plan to block that using RNAi.
C elegans could be used as a model but only if the digestive systems were similar.
Another important thing to think about is how you would get the RNAi to the parasite to kill it. Delivery is always a big issue with drugs and other disease-fighting agents. The objective is to kill a particular cell such as a cancer cell or a bacterium like E coli or Staph aureus, but without injuring the body's healthy cells. Once you developed an RNAi that would work on the parasite, how would you deliver it only to the parasite?
The delivery part does not have to be in your project. I only mention it because it is an important subject and something you should be aware of.
I'm sure the C elegans genes that are involved in feeding are known, so you could develop an RNAi that would target a specific gene product and this could be designed to kill the worm, or perhaps to stop it from feeding.
Post again with more information about what you want to do against a specific parasite and I can help you better.
Sybee
Glad to have you joining our forum.
I hope I can understand what you are asking and help you to find a way to do it. You said you have been working with the roundworm, C elegans, and that's a good subject for all kinds of studies.
I am familiar with RNA interference and what it can be used for but I did not understand what you wanted to do with regard to a parasite. Did you mean to somehow kill the parasite by preventing it from acquiring or digesting its food?
There are a myriad different types of parasites--some infect animals, some humans and others can even parasitize plants. I would have to know which one you have in mind to target. Then you would have to read a lot about it to understand how it ingests and digests its food if you plan to block that using RNAi.
C elegans could be used as a model but only if the digestive systems were similar.
Another important thing to think about is how you would get the RNAi to the parasite to kill it. Delivery is always a big issue with drugs and other disease-fighting agents. The objective is to kill a particular cell such as a cancer cell or a bacterium like E coli or Staph aureus, but without injuring the body's healthy cells. Once you developed an RNAi that would work on the parasite, how would you deliver it only to the parasite?
The delivery part does not have to be in your project. I only mention it because it is an important subject and something you should be aware of.
I'm sure the C elegans genes that are involved in feeding are known, so you could develop an RNAi that would target a specific gene product and this could be designed to kill the worm, or perhaps to stop it from feeding.
Post again with more information about what you want to do against a specific parasite and I can help you better.
Sybee