Kylie Huang
Extracellular contractile injection systems (eCIS) are phage tail-like nanomachines that act as microscopic syringes, delivering protein effectors into eukaryotic cells. Recent work has shown that eCIS are modular and can be reprogrammed to carry specific cargo to chosen targets, but current research is largely limited to purified particles or static expression systems. My project investigates how bacterial systems can be engineered to expand the therapeutic potential of eCIS beyond these current approaches, with the long-term goal of enabling localized macromolecule delivery.
Gabi Herrera
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common yet debilitating side effect experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy. Primary sensory neurons are particularly vulnerable to neuropathic side effects. Using cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), my project seeks to understand how chemotherapy agents alter the cytoskeletal organization of primary sensory neurons. Specifically, I aim to use this cryo-ET data to map damage to the microtubule cytoskeleton, as well as characterize structural damage to critical organelles such as the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. By identifying these structural changes, my project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms […]
Haleta Ayalew
ZF5.3 and AV5.3 are Cell Permeant Mini Proteins (CPMPs): small molecules engineered to facilitate efficient cargo delivery directly into the cytosol of mammalian cells. A current research question in the Schepartz lab is whether CPMPs can be leveraged to improve the delivery of Cas9 nucleases. The Cas9 class of CRISPR nucleases, at about 160 kDa, are significantly larger than the optimal cargo for CPMP vehicles. Recent work has shown that a different class of Cas nucleases, Cas12, can be miniaturized, leading to smaller proteins with high nuclease activity such as […]
Rose Yang
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen that infects humans and causes histoplasmosis, a disease affecting hundreds of thousands of people worldwide annually. My research focuses on how a family of small, secreted proteins called knottins contributes to Histoplasma virulence. Knottins are cystine-knot proteins that contain a specific protein domain that confers stability. Previous work in the Sil lab discovered 25 knottin genes and found that four have roles in virulence. However, the functions of the other Histoplasma knottins is unknown. My project will investigate the roles of the […]
Kian Naini
In Drosophila fly embryos, gene regulatory networks relay spatiotemporal information, forming patterns that shape the adult organism. The goal of my research is to establish a quantitative, model-based view of the development of these embryos. Although embryo-wide models of pattern formation provide important insight, embryonic cells make decisions based on local cues without knowing global concentrations, and single-cell responses to real-time neighboring environments remain largely unexplored. Building on a previously established model in the field, I aim to investigate what factors can explain the reduced variability observed in protein patterns […]
Katara Chang
Disturbances in circadian rhythm have been linked to health consequences such as increased risk of cancer, metabolic health, heart disease, and mental health disorders in humans. Research has also shown a connection between stress and alteration in circadian rhythm. Not all individuals, however, respond to stressors similarly. Stressors have varying effects on individuals, causing some to sustain depressed behaviors (susceptible) while others show resiliency, returning to pre-stressed status. This project will determine the shift in circadian rhythm as a response to stress, and the correlation between the degree of the […]
Erica Domen
During the Miocene (~23-5 million years ago) Earth experienced a geologically abrupt warming event known as the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO). The MCO represents the most recent period in Earth’s history where abrupt warming coincided with reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations comparable to modern-day and projected future levels. The UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) has extensive collections of Miocene fossils from the Molalla flora of northwestern Oregon which have yet to be described or published. In this project I will focus on surveying the vegetation of the Molalla flora during a […]
Kayla Tougas
The hypothalamus of the brain regulates critical parameters such as fluid balance. Fluid balance is the equilibrium between water intake and output, and is measured in the body as blood volume and blood osmolality. Fluid balance is regulated by behaviors such as thirst. The lamina terminalis of the hypothalamus regulates thirst, and is therefore essential for maintaining fluid balance. During pregnancy, female physiology undergoes dramatic changes. Notably, maternal blood volume increases by 30-50% to support fetal growth. An insufficient increase can lead to severe conditions like preeclampsia. Though it is […]
Johnny McNeill
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most closely monitored model organisms for endangered species, yet it remains unknown why some individuals are susceptible to infectious disease while genetically similar conspecifics survive. Small populations face a paradox in which the bottlenecks that threaten survival simultaneously erode the immune diversity required to resist pathogens, creating a feedback loop thought to accelerate extinction risk. Genomic evidence for this relationship in wild populations remains scarce. This project tests that framework by pairing whole-genome sequences from hundreds of monk seals with long-term disease […]
Keira Mahoney
Chronic infections occur when a pathogen persists in the body for a long period, requiring a sustained CD8 T cell response to control infection. During these infections, CD8 T cells must constantly differentiate from quiescent memory cells into functional effector cells. However, in most chronic infections, CD8 T cells become exhausted, which limits differentiation into functional effector cells. Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) is a pathogen that can establish a chronic infection in nearly all mammals, yet CD8 T cells avoid exhaustion, resulting in a well-controlled infection. The mechanisms enabling these cells […]