Category: Genetics

2023-24, Cancer, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Health and Medicine

Mysterious Long Non-Coding RNAs Revealed as Playing a Role in Gastric Cancer

Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 To the astonishment of many, nearly 99% of the human genome consists of non-coding regions that are not transcribed into mRNAs for protein synthesis. However, some of those non-coding regions of DNA can be transcribed into various types of non-coding (nc) RNAs, including long ncRNAs. Until recently, the scientific community believed these ncRNA products to be functionally irrelevant, playing … Continue reading Mysterious Long Non-Coding RNAs Revealed as Playing a Role in Gastric Cancer

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2023-24, Cellular and Molecular Science, General Neuroscience, Genetics, Neurology, Neuroscience

Uncovering a Key Mechanism of Rett Syndrome Pathology

Author: Sean Krivitsky, Class of 2026 Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder found primarily in females that causes impairment in essential functions including breathing, eating, and walking abilities. The disorder is characterized by slowed brain growth, which can lead to various mental and physical disabilities. Key markers and causes of RTT are mutations on a gene called MECP2. MECP2 is an X-linked gene … Continue reading Uncovering a Key Mechanism of Rett Syndrome Pathology

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Biology, Cancer, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics

Implications of the role sphingosine kinase 1 plays in the formation of tumors in p53 knockout mice

Author: Marie Collison ‘25 Cancer is a universally known disease that can be caused by a variety of defects in the genetic code of cells. A very important molecule in the regulation of cellular proliferation is the tumor suppressor protein 53, more commonly known as p53. Mutations or deletions in the p53 gene sequence are detected in the majority of cancers, including several subtypes of … Continue reading Implications of the role sphingosine kinase 1 plays in the formation of tumors in p53 knockout mice

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2023-24, Cancer, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics

Novel Therapeutic Insights to Barth Syndrome

Author: Sean Krivitsky ‘26 Barth syndrome is a rare, severe genetic disorder that primarily affects muscle development and the heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood. It is most common in males given that it is an X-linked disorder and it is known to significantly reduce life expectancy. Despite the severity of Barth syndrome, there are limited therapies available to treat this disease. This condition is … Continue reading Novel Therapeutic Insights to Barth Syndrome

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Cognition, General Neuroscience, Genetics

The Influence of Epigenetic Age on Cognitive Decline

 Julia Chivu ’23 As people age, their cognitive abilities tend to decline. While chronological age is commonly cited as a reason for this decline, it often fails to explain why some individuals have higher cognitive performance than others of the same age. To address this, epigenetic clocks, which analyze DNA methylation at specific genomic sites correlated with aging, are emerging as useful tools for predicting … Continue reading The Influence of Epigenetic Age on Cognitive Decline

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Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics

Investigating the Unexpected Results of Ape1 Inhibitors

Julia Chivu ’23 Figure 1  DNA strand unwinding causing the formation of the replication fork followed by DNA replication. Genomic DNA is constantly at risk of molecular decay. To address this issue, base excision DNA repair (BER) plays a critical role in fixing the minor DNA damage. In particular, Ape1 (or apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease) is a multifunctional protein that is a key component in BER. Ape1 … Continue reading Investigating the Unexpected Results of Ape1 Inhibitors

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2022-23, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology

A Genetic Change Delivered via Gel Treatment for Epidermolysis bullosa Patients Shows Promise

Melanie Karniewich ’25 Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic condition that causes serious blisters to the skin from minor occurrences like rubbing or scratching the skin. In severe cases, blistering can happen inside the body like the mouth or lining of the stomach. Mutations in EB disable genes for the specific proteins that allow the layers of someone’s skin and the lining of organs … Continue reading A Genetic Change Delivered via Gel Treatment for Epidermolysis bullosa Patients Shows Promise

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2022-23, Cellular and Molecular Science, Genetics

When Twins Collide: The Role of Genetics in the Risk of Osteopathic Injuries

Peter Gillespie ’25 Why do some people experience one broken bone after another, while others could go their whole lives without a single fracture? Is the likelihood of an osteopathic injury just a coincidence, or is one’s genetic makeup rolling the dice for them? To answer this question, Hyo Geun Choi and his colleagues at Hallym University compared the histories of osteopathic injuries and bone … Continue reading When Twins Collide: The Role of Genetics in the Risk of Osteopathic Injuries

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2022-23, Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Genetics

Are Doppelgängers Really Just a Coincidence?

Lydia Wang ’26 Human faces and the ability to recognize different facial identities have played a key role in evolution. It has been observed that human faces have evolved to uniquely distinguish themselves from others. However, many people know someone they resemble; some comparisons are so similar that they are labeled as a doppelgänger, or a living double. Doppelgängers have been an ongoing phenomenon that … Continue reading Are Doppelgängers Really Just a Coincidence?

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2021-22, Cellular and Molecular Science, Evolution, Genetics, Natural World

Fish Out of Water: Uncovering the Mechanisms for Survival in Extreme Environments

Peter Gillespie ’25 Most fish, when left without water, will simply not survive. However, research from Dr. Chi-Kuo Hu from Stony Brook University reveals how the embryos of the African turquoise killifish can survive eight-month long droughts in a dormant state known as diapause. Diapause is a state of suspended animation during which a fully developed killifish may temporarily halt its development. Dr. Hu and … Continue reading Fish Out of Water: Uncovering the Mechanisms for Survival in Extreme Environments

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Genetics

Labeling High-ranking ADHD Genes for Future Diagnosis and Treatment

Yukta Kulkarni ’22 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder prevalent in both children and adults with symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. The identification of certain genes associated with ADHD can improve both the understanding of the neural mechanisms that transpire and the ability to accurately diagnose and treat people with ADHD. By researching and integrating data from various research publications, … Continue reading Labeling High-ranking ADHD Genes for Future Diagnosis and Treatment

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Genetics

The Future of Synthetic Biology

Aditi Kaveti ‘23 Natural genetic processes can lose their function over long-term evolution if that function requires too many resources to continue throughout generations. Scientists have been studying evolutionary reversibility, which is the ability to regain a lost function, in order to repair natural systems that have lost such valuable evolutionary processes. To this end in the field of synthetic biology, researchers employ and manipulate … Continue reading The Future of Synthetic Biology

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