| Affiliations: | STEM Research Leadership |
| Project Leader: | Audrey Jacq
Biology |
| Faculty Mentor | Jerome Menet, PhD |
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Meeting Times:
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TBA |
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Team Size:
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3
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| Open Spots: | 3 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Students will be able to immerse themselves in the field of circadian rhythm. They will have the opportunity to learn how to extract RNA from previously acquired samples, perform RT-qPCR and use bioinformatics tools for analysis. In addition, they may also learn and assist in mouse handling and cell culture.
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Team Needs:
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No specific skills are required, but basic knowledge of biology is necessary. Previous experience in the use of molecular biology techniques will be appreciated, as well as an interest in learning bioinformatics. |
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Description:
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The circadian clock regulates the rhythmic expression of genes over a period of about 24h, and allow organisms to anticipate the daily environmental changes by adjusting their behavior and tissue physiology to the day/night cycle. One mechanism allowing a rhythmic expression of the genes is the alternative polyadenylation (APA) consisting to a differential usage of polyadenylation signals across the 3’UTR generating different APA RNAs isoforms. It has been shown that rhythmic gene expression in mouse liver is largely APA isoform specific and that APA isoforms generation could be partially a tissue specific mechanism. It should also be noted that systemic signals, such as rhythmic food intake, are also essential cues to drive rhythmic gene expression in different tissues. The main focus of this team will be to study how the circadian clock and food intake rhythms influence the rhythmic generation of APA RNAs isoforms in different tissues. |