Hi everyone!
My name is Oye Bosompra and I am an incoming
third year majoring in MCDB. I was just recently accepted into the MARC
program, and thus this summer I was given the opportunity to work in Dr. Hilary
Coller’s MCDB lab in Terasaki as part of SPUR. The Coller lab studies
regulatory networks that maintain cell cycle transitions between cell
quiescence and proliferation, and how faults within this network contribute to
cancer metabolics. My research specifically focuses on different isoforms of
the RECK protein, a serine protease anchored on the cell plasma membrane that
is thought to be a suppressor against tumor cell lines. Changes in their
expression alongside their down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases affect
cell migration and invasion as seen in tumor metastasis. The study of these
protease-protease interactions is important in the analysis of cancer
progression extending beyond cell division and proliferation.
It’s been less than 3 weeks so far, but I
already feel like I’ve learned so much about what it means to have a career in
research. I’m still learning basic skills, such as cell culturing and running
western blots, but I have a great mentor (who has cloned genes over 130 times
while being at UCLA and is walking me through the process) and I’m gaining
insight I would have never gained otherwise. The nice part about my lab is that
all the members are so relaxed and have a light sense of humor! It’s also been great
having Mona, a fellow MARC Scholar, in the same lab as me so I can harass her
with basic questions as I adjust to the lab environment. I’m excited to see
what this lab will teach me throughout the rest of summer and into the school
year!
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