Running the western blot to get some answers on our protein expression levels!

Author: Neel Patel | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Fall 2022

As an undergraduate student in the field of stem cell biology, I have had the opportunity to conduct research on the effects of mechanical stimulation on mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) and the upregulation of specific protein markers in MSCs. This research has the potential to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on MSC-EVs and their potential use in regenerative medicine, as well as a better understanding of the role of mechanotransduction in MSC behavior and function.

I chose this research topic after expressing my interest in stem cell research to my mentor, Dr. Rebekah Samsonraj, who recently moved to the University of Arkansas in Fall 2020 and was looking for undergraduate research students. Before I could begin working on this project, I had to undergo rigorous cell culture training from Dr. Samsonraj to build a strong foundation in mammalian cell culture. After six months of training, I was ready to begin working on my first research project, which focused on establishing an MSC muscle differentiation protocol. Although I learned various skills and molecular biology techniques from this project, there were unexpected results that required further optimization, leading to more time being spent on the project. Because of time constraints, I was allowed to work on a different project focusing on MSC-EVs, which I began after receiving funding from the honors college research grant.

Through this research experience, I have learned about the importance of MSC-EVs in regenerative medicine and the need for improved characterization techniques to better understand their functionality and therapeutic potential. I have also gained a better understanding about the role of mechanotransduction in MSC behavior and function, and how further understanding of this process could lead to improved therapeutic approaches using MSCs in regenerative medicine.

One of the challenges I faced in this research was the time constraints, as the project required more time than originally anticipated. I overcame this challenge by staying organized and efficient with my time, and by seeking guidance from my mentor when needed. Another challenge that I experienced was repetitive optimization of the western blot protocol for our lab. While western blotting is a powerful technique used to analyze and detect protein expression in a sample, it is often the most challenging assay in molecular biology and biomedical engineering. The iterative process for western blot optimization involved constant testing, high sample usage, and long nights of troubleshooting. To this day, I still haven’t perfected the western blot, but that’s the fun of research; I love the challenge it provides and makes me want to achieve the perfect western blot. Good research is never straight forward. There will always be challenges and non-linear paths.

My faculty mentor, Dr. Rebekah Samsonraj, played a crucial role in guiding and supporting me throughout this research experience. She provided me with the necessary training and resources to conduct my research and helped me to overcome any challenges I faced. Other faculty members, undergraduate students, and graduate students also contributed to my research by providing valuable feedback, insights, and project assistance. I hope to present my research findings in a conference in April.

Looking ahead, I am planning to further pursue my studies in biomedical engineering by applying to graduate school. For my graduate studies, I hope to pursue work in biosensors and BioMEMS to be able to transfer my skills from stem cell biology to develop low-resource devices for patient diagnosis.