User:Saja A. Fakhraldeen
Last Name
Fakhraldeen
First Name
Saja
Course/Minor
20
Year of Graduation
2009
sajafd AT mit DOT edu
Have you taken
7.05/5.07 (Biochemistry) - No, took equivalent classes at Harvard
7.06 (Cell Biology) - No
7.02 (General Biology Lab) - No
5.310 (General Chemistry Lab) - No
Do you have any experience culturing cells (mammalian, yeast or microbial)? Yes
Do you have any experience in molecular biology (electrophoresis, PCR, etc)? Yes
Please briefly describe any previous laboratory experience
I have been a UROP at the Engelward Lab (BE department) for the past year. The research I have been working on involves studying the effect of genetics on the rate and frequency of DNA repair. Specifically, the effect of inactivating p53 (a tumor suppressor gene) on the rate and frequency of spontaneous and exogenously-induced homologous recombination.
Genome Engineering Module
- M13 Genome Modification Ideas
| Gene | Function of Corresponding Protein | Re-engineering ideas |
|---|---|---|
| g1 | Assembly | |
| g2 | Replication of DNA + strand | Modify it such that the protein does not nick the dsDNA without a defined stimulus (when certain conditions within the host cell are satisfied) |
| g3 | Phage tail protein (5 copies) | Modify it such that its protein can be more/less selective of its potential bacterial host (criteria for selectivity can depend on the properties of the host's membrane, the environment surrounding the host, etc...) |
| g4 | Assembly | |
| g5 | Binds ssDNA | Somehow increase its protein's affinity to M13's ssDNA genome so that it will not have to compete with dsDNA formation |
| g6 | Phage tail protein (5 copies) | Delete the gene and observe whether infection and release can still take place with just the unmodified p3 |
| g7 | Phage head protein (5 copies) | This gene can be useful for adding fluorescent tags (GFP,YFP,etc...) that will allow for real-time observation through fluorescence detection (similar to the video seen in class) |
| g8 | Phage coat protein (2700 copies - can vary with varying length of viral genome) | |
| g9 | Phage head protein (5 copies) | Same idea as g7 - another possible use for fluorescent tagging is relatively easy quantification of the viral progeny which can be useful for studying the effect of different factors on the ability of the phage to successfully complete its life cycle |
| g10 | DNA replication | |
| g11 | Assembly |
- M13 Relatives
| M13 belongs to the filamentous family of bacteriophages. The most extensively studied fF phages (filamentous phages which require the F pilli on the bacterial host for infection) are M13, f1, and fd.
