Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am working on a research project in which I inject a carcinogenic substance into actively dividing plant cells and observe the effect of both natural antioxidants and injected pro oxidants on the tumor. However, I have know idea how to get these materials. Please help

Hello,

These sound like interesting concepts, but experiments like these would likely be undertaken at a university-level laboratory. Working with carcinogens is most definitely a hazard, and you need a controlled environment in which to handle these compounds/substances.

I am not a botanist, so I can't really address forming localized tumors in plant cells. However, in the laboratory, we either culture cells in plastic plates and observe the effects of drugs on the cell monolayer over time, or we observe the effects of various drugs on tumors in mouse models. A good way to try would be to culture plant cells on something like a petri dish and treat with your compounds. But again, because you are working with carcinogens and/or potential therapeutic compounds, you will need a controlled laboratory environment. Do you have any university connections?

-Pharma