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Asked by Lila to Candace, Jenn, Matthew, Sahra, Sharon on 6 Mar 2017. This question was also asked by Nataly and Wendy.
Question: Currently what are you working on and what does it do or how does it help.
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Matthew Bainbridge answered on 6 Mar 2017:
I’m currently working on a kid who has calcification in his brain and another who can’t make neutrophils, which is a cell in your blood that attacks bacteria. We’re also working on a kid that has brittle bones to see if a transplant would be helpful. If we find the mutations/genes that cause these diseases it will be the first step in getting them treatment.
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Sahra Uygun answered on 7 Mar 2017:
I am currently working on a computer model to predict how genes respond to stress based on the DNA sequences around them. In another words, regions in genome that regulate the genes.
So if a stretch of DNA like “AGTCTAATGC” is present around some genes, can we say these genes will be expressed in a particular tissue (roots or leaves), at a developmental stage (young leaf or old plant) and environmental condition (plenty of water or salty soil). If that stretch of DNA is not present, the gene might not be expressed under these circumstances.
The computer model we are developing is informative to identify which stretches of DNA are important in plant stress response and can be used to search genomes of plants like rice, corn to find genes that might respond to stress. -
Jennifer Hintzsche answered on 7 Mar 2017:
I’m currently working on finding a cure for melanoma which is a skin cancer caused most of the time from really bad sun-burns. When you get melanoma the tumors spread to all parts of your body and a lot of times to your brain. We are trying to figure out why it goes to the brain and what drugs we can use to treat that tumor and kill it. I write computer software that finds out all the DNA that is different between tumors in the brain and tumors every where else. Then I find ways to treat that DNA with drugs and we test the drugs in mice to be sure they are safe and will work in people!
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Candace Lewis answered on 8 Mar 2017:
I am currently working a project with over 300 twin pairs. We are evaluating how their experiences can shape their genes and then how their genes can shape their behavior. This research will help us determine the most enriching and the most vulnerable experiences so that we can help prevent and treat mental illness.
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Xueyuan Jiang answered on 9 Mar 2017:
Hi Lila,
Currently I’m working on investigating the role of natural selection on gene duplicates. It helps us understand how new functions of genes are evolved : )
Comments
Lila commented on :
You are doing great thank you for the help!