Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Jae Young Ryoo L&S Sciences

Genome Editing in Mammalian Cells for Study of Clathrin-mediated Endocytic Dynamics

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a process by which a cell absorbs molecules with the help of the protein clathrin. Cell biology studies often employ a variety of different cell types to study a single cellular pathway but how these pathways operate often differ depending on the cell type observed. Unfortunately, in most cases, little is known about the mechanisms that give rise to these differences. I aim to explore how cells differ in the process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, with the ultimate goal of understanding why these differences exist and what it means for human physiology. I will couple genome-editing technology, together with use of fluorescent proteins and live-cell microscopy to characterize this highly dynamic process. I believe this work will help us map how and why different cell types undergo endocytosis, and provide a foundation for elucidating how complexity in this pathway contributes to physiology.

Message To Sponsor

Being a part of the SURF project not only provides me the funds to live at Berkeley this summer, but also surrounds me with peers who are passionate about research. I believe that having the right people around you to collaborate with increases productivity and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the applications of research. SURF also gives me the opportunity to learn research techniques from world-class researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. These techniques and lessons will help me to be a good researcher in medicine in the future.
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Major: Molecular and Cell Biology, Computer Science
Mentor: David Drubin, Moleculr and Cell Biology
Sponsor: Pergo Fund
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