Opportunities for MS PROJECT or Directed Study

Project 1: Write and publish a review on optogenetic regulation of transcription. Suitable for students in MS Biology Neuroscience concentration. Students will be working with Dr. Baranova in collaboration with Dr. Myakishev-Rempel.

Optogenetics is a novel very promising field of research which utilizes non-mammalian light-sensing proteins like chlorophyll and rhodopsin to capture light, and transform it into signals. These proteins are genetically incorporated in mammalian cells are currently used as a research tool allowing external control of biological signals with light stimuli. One of newest developments is the ability to control gene transcription with optogenetics. This has potential medical applications since it could allow controlling gene transcription in the body with light. A motivated student is invited to write a review on a this topic, to be submitted to Genome Research.

Project 2: A semester-long Bioinformatics project

Student should have working knowledge of SAS, and preferably hold or acquire student SAS license.
The student will work with Dr. Baranova, Dr. Lynn Gerber (CHHS) and also will interact with John Sangobowale (PhD BCB student).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
To see if the cancer survivors receiving T’ai Chi (TCC) training will have a larger reduction in psychological stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) compared to the aerobic exercise and wait-list arms.

The data are collected and has to be de-archived in SAS. The complete list of questions to be clarified in data analysis project is in attachment. Not all of these question will be answered during Fall semester, as some analytes are not yet analyzed (most likely these will come in Spring). This project is also suitable for a thesis in MS Bioinformatics & Computational Biology. See attached document for details.

For more information contact Dr. Baranova at [log in to unmask]


Dr. Ancha Baranova
Associate Professor and
the Director for the Center for the Study of Chronic Metabolic Diseases
School of Systems Biology
College of Science
George Mason University
4400 University Dr
David King Hall MSN3 E1
Fairfax VA
USA
Phone: 1-571-334-1145
cscmd.cos.gmu.edu