Karly F
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Duke University
Expertise
Structural biochemistry
Bio
Hi everyone! I am going to be a third year PhD student in the biochemistry department at Duke University. I am researching DNA damage repair pathways and how they pertain to cancer. Outside of the lab, I enjoy competitive running, exploring local restaurants and reading.Project ideas
Visualize It: Why Protein Structure is Important for Biological Understanding
If you have ever seen a cartoon of a protein in a paper or textbook, it is easy to take for granted how the image came about. In reality, it is up to a specific type of scientist, known as a structural biochemist, to solve the protein structure so that it can be used to understand a specific biological process, or to aid in drug design. In this project, you will use a method of your choosing (video, cartoon, podcast, etc.) to learn about and explain now protein structures are solved, and find an example of how they have been used to answer a scientific question.
DNA Damage and Cancer
It is well known that damage to our genomic information, or DNA, can eventually lead to the formation of tumors and cancer. On a basic scientific level, how our cells sense and respond to sources of genomic stress determine the extent of DNA damage. In this project, we will pick a DNA repair pathway of your choosing and dissect how it is tied to cancer, and discuss current therapeutics to try to mitigate further damage. Your findings can be presented as a slide show, review paper, podcast, animation or any other method interesting to you.