William Lin L&S Sciences
Identifying and Characterizing a Genetic Modifier for Cataracts
The cataract, or clouding of the lens of the eye, is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Currently, the only effective treatment to remove cataracts is surgery, which costs $6.8 billion annually in the United States. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that cause cataracts may lead to new therapeutic strategies to prevent or delay the progression of cataracts, thereby alleviating the need for surgical intervention and possibly saving billions of dollars. Gap junctions are membrane channels that connect adjacent cells, allowing the transfer of metabolites, ions, and other small molecules for maintaining normal transparency of the lens. Previous research from the Gong Lab has shown that the deletion of alpha3 connexin, a primary component of lens gap junctions, results in severe cataracts in the 129SvJae (129) mouse strain but displays mild cataracts in the C57BL/6J (B6) mouse strain. My research project seeks to identify and characterize a novel genetic modifier on mouse chromosome 2, which is responsible for suppressing cataract severity.
Message To Sponsor
I want to thank the Pergo Fund for giving me this opportunity to conduct my very first independent research project. In a relatively short period of time, I have learned so much about how to design experiments, how to perform different protocols, and how to think like a researcher. This research experience has shown me how science truly requires curiosity, perseverance, and tenacity. I am very excited to continue my research project during this upcoming school year in an honors thesis course.