| Affiliations: | DeBakey Executive Research Leadership Program |
| Project Leader: | Eduardo Martinez emarti62@tamu.edu Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology |
| Faculty Mentor: | Robert Watson, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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TBD |
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Team Size:
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3 |
| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Students will have the opportunity to develop technical skills including but not limited to: designing experiments, qPCR, Western blot and cell culture, collecting and analyzing data, conducting statistical analyses/coding in R, and scientific writing
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Team Needs:
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No research experience necessary, just be willing to learn and dedicate some time to doing research (6hrs+/week). Basic biology background is recommended. Also, must be able/willing to commute to Texas A&M Health Science Center. Any main campus parking pass will cover parking or commute on the Rellis Bus route |
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Description:
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Mitochondria serve as a central node for multiple innate immune processes: they act as a hub for cytosolic sensing, orchestrate cell death, and release danger signals (mito-DAMPs) into the cytosol. In line with a core role in innate immunity, mutations in genes important for mitochondrial homeostasis have been repeatedly associated with susceptibility to mycobacterial infection and chronic inflammation. While we appreciate these associations, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive inflammation in the face of specific mitochondrial mutations. The purpose of this project will be to determine key factors that drive mitochondrial dysregulation and subsequent cell death and inflammation |