Project Description (Daniela)

The project I am currently working on involves analyzing the differences between two different types of nanotubes. The nanotubes are small synthetic cyclic (closed curved) peptides (a compound composed of two are more amino acids) that are structurally and functionally similar to somatostatin. Somatostatin is a polypeptide hormone that inhibits the activity of hormones such as pancreatic and gastrointestinal hormones. Somatostatin is naturally produced in our bodies, but once it is produced it breaks down within minutes. The synthetic nanotubes have the same effects as the somatostatin and are extremely valuable because of their longer half-life which provides prolonged effects. The synthetic nanotubes are currently being used to treat acromegaly tumors. Here at the CRISP lab, their primary focus is to identify any differences between two different samples of the synthetic nanotubes, and this will be done by measuring the length and width of the nanotubes. So far, length has been the most evident difference, and width has posed as a difficult factor to measure.
I've learned a lot about dimerization and the structure of synthetic peptides that are analogues of hormones in our bodies. It's amazing to be able to able to investigate the abilities of future medicine and treatment options for cancer. I've also gotten the opportunity to use the TEM and SEM microscopes to take images of the nanotubes and cellulose fibers. I learned that most of the lab work isn't too complicated as long as you have great mentors who ensure you don't make any risky mistakes. Also, lab work requires a lot of patience, many of the students here spend a lot of time analyzing their results and figuring out how to collect their data using imagining software.