This week in B-SURF, everyone in the program presented an 8-minute chalk talk explaining their project for this summer. It was a very enjoyable experience and I loved hearing the diversity and scope of biological projects being completed by my peers.
In this blog, I would like to reflect on Laura’s talk about endothelial cells and their relationship to diabetic retinopathy. Although I have limited knowledge on the the creation of stem cells, Laura’s talk was comprehensive and easy to follow. Endothelial cells are formed from mesodermal cells, which are formed from stem cells. Naturally, this process takes around 8 days. However, using a modRNA that encodes for transcription factor ETV2, this process can be accelerated to completion in only four days. This relies on a technique known as electroporation so the cells uptake the foreign RNA, inducing the creation of endothelial cells from mesodermal ones.
Not only was Laura’s talk enjoyable to understand, it has a multiple of real world implications. Specific to her project, she investigates diabetic retinopathy, a condition that causes blindness in people with diabetes. Endothelial cells make up the inner layer of blood vessels, so forming more endothelial cells within the eye can reduce the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Yet, endothelial cells also play a role in the vascular system as a whole as opposed to just the in the eye. This reveals the importance of stem cell research and how it has the potential to change or affect other important biological functions, including transportation of substances, filtration of fluids, and blood vessel regulation, which are the linked to the causes of many diseases and conditions.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed Laura’s talk. Not only was her research project understandable, it was extremely interesting and has caused me to develop a greater interest in stem cell research and cell biology in general. This past week was one of my favorite weeks with the program, and I hope that chalk talks will continue to be incorporated in the B-SURF schedule for future years to come.
