Student Colloquia
Every week, some of our senior researchers in each department at ASDRP give public seminar presenting the current state of the field, and disseminating how their research at ASDRP fits into the broader context of the frontiers of modern science and engineering. Colloquia are public events, and anyone can join. Simply click the Google Calendar link to add the event to your calendar.
Department of Biological, Human & Life Sciences
Tuesdays @ 8:00 - 9:00 PM PST
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Assessing the Effectiveness of Clozapine on Schizophrenic C. elegan Models.
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Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness characterized by a distorted perception of reality. Causes are largely unknown (with the exception of possible genetic links) and, subsequently, the disorder has been very difficult to treat. In this study, we will be assessing the efficacy of a drug named clozapine to treat depression and avolition (the lack of motivation), which are some of the key symptoms of schizophrenia. Clozapine is a neuroactive benzodiazepine, which is a class of psychoactive drugs. We are assessing the efficacy of this drug in CB1372 transgenic C. elegans that displays the characteristics of avolition and depression.
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Nithya G., BASIS Independent High School
Truong Research Group
Molecular & Cell Biology
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry & Physics
Fridays @ 8:00 - 9:00 PM PST
Friday, December 18, 2020
Designing, synthesizing, and screening novel indole-based compounds to stabilize the G-Quadruplex for cancer treatment.
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The G-Quadruplex (G4) is a DNA structure that can form under physiological conditions. It plays a variety of roles in translation, transcription, and preventing the elongation of telomeres. Indigo and other indole-related compounds have been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries, and they continue to interest researchers because of their many applications in medicine. Stabilizing the G-Quadruplex has been identified as a venue to prevent the proliferation of tumor cells by preventing the extension of telomeres. Here, an overview of our current progress towards identifying and creating indole-based analogs will be discussed along with an overview of general progress in this field.
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Natasha K., Dougherty Valley High School
Brah Research Group
Computational Biochemistry
