Affiliations: |
Open to all applicants in biomedical sciences, physiology, toxicology, reproductive biology, genetics, bioengineering, or biophysics
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Project Leader: | Dr. Tracy Clement tclement@tamu.edu Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology |
Faculty Mentor: | |
Meeting Times:
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Friday mornings
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Team Size:
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5 |
Open Spots: | 0 |
Special Opportunities:
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Team Needs:
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Interested students should submit their class schedule for the semester, and statement of interest to Dr. Tracy Clement at tclement@tamu.edu The statement of interest should include specific aspects in the project description that you are interested in and why, as well as why you believe we should pick you to be on the research team.
Reliability, ability to work kindly and productively in teams, and excellent communication are valued in the Clement lab. Members should exhibit willingness to learn and motivation to seek solutions to a research problem. Students at any level (freshman-senior), with diverse career goals (academic research, teaching, industry research, policy, technical writing, etc) welcome to apply. Previous research experience or willingness to commit to multiple semesters of participation are preferred. Team members will be expected to register for VTPP 491 credit and dedicate a minimum of 9 hours a week to the lab (to include weekly lab meetings on Friday mornings, experimental preparation of reagents/supplies/literature search, wet lab research, and results analyses). Completion of TAMU environmental and biological safety training is required to work in the lab |
Description:
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Spermatogenesis, the formation of sperm in the testis, is arguably the most complex of cell transformations. Perhaps this is why there is still no method to produce mature sperm in vitro nor efficient male contraceptive pills. Research in the Clement lab aims to address these needs. Projects open for undergraduate participation include the following:
A. Tissue Engineered Seminiferous Tubules for In Vitro Spermatogenesis: In this project, you will be working with a small team to use tissue engineering to recreate testis tissues using bioprinting and other biofabrication methods. You will learn a wide variety of lab techniques including biomaterial synthesis, cell culture, histology, and in vitro techniques. This project is open to all undergraduate classifications. We also have related fluid modeling side projects for anyone with experience in modeling programs. B. Protein expression for investigation of male contraceptive targets: In this project you will learn to use core biochemical principles and techniques to overexpress, purify and characterize proteins – specifically we will be using these principles to learn more about testis-specific actin-like proteins to look for potential male contraceptive targets. Overall, this would be a great opportunity to not only solidify and apply your biochemistry knowledge but to also explore actin regulatory mechanisms under the mindset for drug target discovery. All are welcomed to apply but we recommend that you have taken or are currently enrolled in an undergraduate introductory level or higher biochem course. C. Characterizing mouse models in which key testis specific proteins have been knocked-out: The focus of the current research project is to identify factors that affect male fertility and to define the role of Actin Related Proteins. Student participating in this project will benefit from a basic knowledge of biology and general science, however the project is open to all student classifications. By the end of the semester, enthusiastic and dedicated participants will gain scientific skills that include: Assessment of male mouse reproductive organs including animal necropsy and sperm quality assessments, preparing tissues for histological assessment, histological staining techniques, immunohistochemistry, utilizing a microscope for imaging and evaluation, and preparation of laboratory reagents. Please note that the lab skills are not limited to the listed above. Projects in the lab are interrelated in scope and applied techniques, therefore students who find interest and would like to dedicate time to gain further laboratory research experience will find ample opportunity to learn various skills from lab members in across team projects. Interested students should submit their class schedule for the semester, and statement of interest to Dr. Tracy Clement at tclement@tamu.edu |