Students research cancer treatment, along with faculty, in the Betancourt chemistry lab, The University Starreports. Tania Betancourt, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is in charge of the research that is hoping to find a way to deliver drugs only to the parts of the body that have a disease.
The research is using aptamers, a piece of DNA, "as a building block for delivering drugs to specific molecules." The goal of the research is to come up with particles that can make chemotherapy drugs more selective. That goal is what attracted biochemistry senior Dylan Hall to the project. He said he wants to focus on the mechanics of cancer and try to find better ways of treating cancer patients. He enjoys the fact that the research teaches him how to approach new problems, rather than a lab in class where the way the lab is going to end is already a given.
The other undergraduate collaborating on the project, biology senior Laison Nguyen, is excited about the project because it gives him a chance to do things he couldn't learn in normal classes. He also likes that it gives him a chance to really see what research is like before he commits to a path he may end up not liking.
The project got a $35,000 grant this summer from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement and a proposal is being drafted to try and get more funds from the National Science Foundation. Funding is critical to the project because every order of DNA the research needs is $1,000 and is used quickly.
Looking for a great San Marcos apartment where you can conduct your own experiments? Call Apartment Experts San Marcos today!
No comments:
Post a Comment