Hi!!! Welcome back Biominds’ fellows!!!

My “research activities” are listed in the summer research section of this blog and my project’s methodology is shown in the project section. At the end of this semester I hope to:

1. Select the genes we want to look at. This is from the list obtain from the results of previous studies using Microarrays (results in the project section).

2. Look for the sequence of the genes of interest using GenBank.

3. Design a primer for each gene of interest.

4. Order the design primer.

5. Optimize the Real Time PCR.

This semester I have a new and different project from last semester, because the Machado Joseph Disease project is a brand new topic at the lab and I am more related to mouse models and molecular biology than neuropsychology. This project will help us elucidate the importance of certain specific genes in the consolidation of memories.

I’m very exited with this project because I will learn how to use the GenBank and the Molecular databases, how to design primers and order them, and Real Time PCR, between other things. This is the kind of project that I really love to do, and it also will complement my findings in the project that I’m running for MARC.

-Jessie