| Affiliations: | |
| Project Leader: | Miranda Leek miranda@tamu.edu Chemical Engineering |
| Faculty Mentor: | Pushkar Lele, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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TBD |
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Team Size:
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6
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| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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The candidates selected for our team will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with immune cells and bacterial culture techniques, molecular biology and genetic modification (PCR, DNA extraction), microscopy, and image and particle tracking algorithms (MATLAB). Candidates will gain experience in working with projects involving single-cell analysis, nanobiotechnology and molecular biology tools, and big data processing techniques to develop antibacterial technologies and cancer therapeutics. Candidates will receive opportunities to present their research findings at scientific workshops (e.g., TAMU Student Research Week).
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Team Needs:
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Our team is looking for candidates with broad interests in our research (http://pushkarlelelab.org/), who are eager to learn, have good organizational and communication skills, and are committed. A background in laboratory work, coding, and/or MATLAB are desired but not required. A minimum of 3-6 hours per week (depending on student objectives) are required. Ideally, candidates will join our lab for a duration longer than a semester or two. |
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Description:
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The overall project examines how bacteria evade out immune systems during an infection. Our central hypothesis is that bacteria employ molecular sensors to detect chemical signatures to escape predatorial immune cells in our body. The team will use advanced microscopy techniques to characterize the interactions between bacteria and the chemical stimulants secreted by immune cells. A part of the team will analyze the results and compare with mathematical models of predator-prey systems to determine the mechanisms of immune evasion. Additionally, students will quantify the immune system’s antibacterial efficacy and its ability to camouflage from bacteria. Another part of the team will compare these natural antibacterial systems with currently available industrial antibacterials with the goal of improving product design. Students will also test different products for their effectiveness in curbing antibiotic resistance in microbes. Experimentation will involve genetic modifications of the model species Escherichia coli, characterization of antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria using EPA-based protocols, analysis of fluorescence and phase microscopy data with MATLAB algorithms, developing designs for 3D printing (CAD software), and microfluidics |