Taking Short Cuts: How Direct Reprogramming Can Transform On

[deleted-180517]

In my topic, there is only one lab mentioned and I feel that I could do more. Is there anything else I can do to make my project a bit better like a lab or something?
Thank You

[SciB]

Hi Ruchal,

I agree with you that projects that only involve a computer are not as satisfying as messing about in a lab. That’s not to say that knowing how to work with the databases and use the bioinformatics software is not important to a scientist. It most definitely is. But as you say, there’s so much more that you can do.

My first question would be what exactly are you interested in and my second one would be do you have access to a university cell biology lab and a mentor to teach you the methods and supervise your work? The kinds of experiments in which a common body cell like a fibroblast is turned into a neuron by culturing it with specific growth and transcription factors require some pretty sophisticated scientific knowledge, equipment, expensive reagents and a serious time commitment. PhD students can spend years on such a project. Since your project appears to be due Dec. 18, 2013, you better stick to the computer-based project.

This is not say that you can’t make the project your own and try something different. Learn how to use the bioinformatics software, understand the signaling pathways that are thought to be involved in this ‘reprogramming’ and look for questions that have not been answered. There really is a lot that can be done online that can give the scientist in the lab some valuable clues where to look and what experiments to do.

Check the bibliography in the Scibuddies project on reprogramming. There are a lot of excellent sources there. How can an adult body cell be converted into a pluripotent stem cell that can then be differentiated into a neuron or a bone or cartilage cell? How safe is this method? There is some evidence that cancers are associated with cells that have undergone dedifferentiation into stem-like cells, so the risk of tumor formation needs to be considered before these reprogrammed cells can be used in humans.

Hopefully you will continue to be interested in this really hot research area and someday be able to do some of those experiments in a lab. Let us know if you have more questions and we will try to help you make this a great project.

Best wishes,

Sybee

[tvkmurthy]

amazonia database is down; how can I get help? The URL they have is amazonia.transcriptome.eu