Ian Popp presents his poster at BMES
Author: Ian Popp | Major: Chemical Engineering, Economics | Semester: Fall 2024
Through an Honors College Travel grant, I was able to present my undergraduate research at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. I began by meeting with Dr. Nelson in August of 2023 to ask to write a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship / Honors College Research Grant application with him.
We discussed several possible projects, but we decided to be using CRISPR-DREAM, a new type of CRISPR-dCas9 gene editing tool that has human-derived transactivation domains as opposed to the conventional virally derived domains such as VP64 or KRAB which could reduce unwanted effects. This tool was developed and graciously given to us by his friends at Rice University. With CRISPR-DREAM, we hoped to develop a gene therapy to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that results in the absence of a functional dystrophin protein. By upregulating utrophin, a protein known for making up for the lack of dystrophin, we hope to lessen the effects of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I made the components of CRISPR-DREAM for each target that we wanted to regulate. My poster focused on the resulting RNA expression to gauge the effectiveness of our genetic targets and determine the effectiveness of the tool in our mouse skeletal muscle cells.
Because I am studying abroad in Madrid at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid this semester, I left Madrid for Baltimore on Tuesday morning, and after a layover in New York, I finally arrived in Baltimore late in the afternoon to my hotel overlooking the Camden Yards, the stadium of the Orioles, close to the inner harbor. That night, I had Chick-fil-a for the first time in months, and I would have it again every day until I left, satiating my homesickness.
On the first day of the conference, I went on an industry tour to Infinite Biomedical Technologies (IBT). I was able to experience their technology firsthand in several demonstrations where they use virtual reality to prepare amputees to receive their prosthetics. Since most of the employees of the company have either an MD or a Ph.D., I was able to see how innovation and business mix in the field of prosthetics. Following the tour, I went to a few presentations by graduate students and professors to fill the rest of the day.
The next day, I went to more talks to gain a better understanding of the structure of conference oral presentations. I also reconnected with the other members of the Almodovar Lab group for brunch, which is now based at the University of Maryland Baltimore County having departed from the University of Arkansas. I notably met Dr. David Castilla Casadiego, a former member who trained my postdoc who trained me, who is now working at the University of Texas in Austin. At the conference, I went to several tables to look for REU programs for this summer and for doctoral programs following my graduation. I was most interested by Vanderbilt, as Dr. Nelson is an alumnus of Vanderbilt, so he was able to introduce me to his colleagues who work in similar fields as him. I was also interested by the University of Michigan, for their REU and wide variety of Ph.D. programs as well as the University of Colorado Boulder, where I was also able to collect a souvenir for my dad who is an alumnus of CU Boulder from the recruiters. Through this experience, I was able to build my professional network.
On Friday, I presented my poster. Although the first ten minutes of the session weren’t very busy, as soon as my friends formed a crowd, it did not subside until the end of the session. I received several questions about how CRISPR-DREAM varied from other CRISPR tools, and I was able to emphasize the lack of a permanent edit as well as the difference between CRISPR-DREAM’s human derived transactivation domains as opposed to KRAB or VP64 virally derived transactivation domains. By the end, I thought that my poster session went far smoother than my expectations, and I am even more motivated to continue to give scientific presentations.