(no subject)
My project... I know you've heard me talk about it but I don't think I've really told anyone what it is or what I'm doing. So if you don't care, I'd stop reading......now.
This is the "formal" write up to all the science nerds.
This student enrolled in ABT 395 will analyze factors concerned with HSV-1 reactivation from a quiescent infection. In our lab, we use QIF-PC12 cell cultures to model HSV-1 latency. Sarah Goodin will be investigating the role of VP16 in virus replication in neuronally differentiated PC-12 cells. In these sets of experiments, comparisons of virus replication will be made using strains RP-1, RP-3, RP-4 and RP-5 in primate and rodent cells that have or lack neurol phenotype. Virus production will be monitored by direct plaque assay. All experiments will be preformed under the direction and supervision of Dr. Craig S. Miller, and Dr. Robert Danaher.
Now for the english version, or at least to the best of my understanding. HSV (Herpes simplex virus) is a virus that can go into latency or into "hidding" in a nerve cell and there your immune system can't find it to destroy it. But it "sleeps" there until some time of stress activates it. Then it begins to replicate and with HSV-1, the virus moves to softer epithelial cells(skin cells) of the lips. Here it begans to replicate and make new virus, killing new cells and the result is a very uncomfortable cold sore. Well, eventually your body fights off the active virus and the cycle starts again. In my research we are searching to find out what causes the virus to begin replicating after stress. So far, scientist believe that the stress activates a viral protein, VP16, which is like the "turn on switch" for the virus to begin replication. So basically, I'm testing to see how this protein reacts with different nerve cells and different mutated virus strains.
Hopefully the end result, again to the best of my understanding, if if we find out what turn so the virus, we can prevent it from replicating. If it doesn't replicate and it can't kill cells and therefore can not spread. HSV is passed on by skin to skin contact of the infected region. If there is no longer an infection region, it will no longer be able to be passed on to a new host. Therefore, the HSV dies with the host. Hopefully this will be the end of HSV as we know it.
So there it is, this is what is consuming all my free time. I still have a lot of questions and if you want to know anything else or have questions please ask. I need to know this and be able to present my finding to a room full of old professors who will then grade me on my presentation.
But I gotta run. I'm meeting up with this guy Matt. It was so cute, he called me Wednesday to tell me he couldn't study with the group but then asked me if we wanted to meet up for lunch and then study all afternoon. I don't know when it happened but I love being the cute girl!!!!! I have at least one guy in every class that is crushing on me. I even have a bully! you know, one of those guys that is constantly picking on you and he laughs at everything I do. Even if I'm just sitting there he'll start laughing and when I ask why, he just tells me that I'm something else. Everyone comes up to me and is like, "he's crushing on you big time" Duh. I've able to tell for quite sometime how guys feel about me and use that to my advantage. I've been dating for a long time and I've gotten pretty good at it. Hell, I already had some one ask me out for Valintines day 2 weeks in advance. That made me feel special. But I'm off. Next week is going to be a bitch. Toodles. ~Sarah
This is the "formal" write up to all the science nerds.
This student enrolled in ABT 395 will analyze factors concerned with HSV-1 reactivation from a quiescent infection. In our lab, we use QIF-PC12 cell cultures to model HSV-1 latency. Sarah Goodin will be investigating the role of VP16 in virus replication in neuronally differentiated PC-12 cells. In these sets of experiments, comparisons of virus replication will be made using strains RP-1, RP-3, RP-4 and RP-5 in primate and rodent cells that have or lack neurol phenotype. Virus production will be monitored by direct plaque assay. All experiments will be preformed under the direction and supervision of Dr. Craig S. Miller, and Dr. Robert Danaher.
Now for the english version, or at least to the best of my understanding. HSV (Herpes simplex virus) is a virus that can go into latency or into "hidding" in a nerve cell and there your immune system can't find it to destroy it. But it "sleeps" there until some time of stress activates it. Then it begins to replicate and with HSV-1, the virus moves to softer epithelial cells(skin cells) of the lips. Here it begans to replicate and make new virus, killing new cells and the result is a very uncomfortable cold sore. Well, eventually your body fights off the active virus and the cycle starts again. In my research we are searching to find out what causes the virus to begin replicating after stress. So far, scientist believe that the stress activates a viral protein, VP16, which is like the "turn on switch" for the virus to begin replication. So basically, I'm testing to see how this protein reacts with different nerve cells and different mutated virus strains.
Hopefully the end result, again to the best of my understanding, if if we find out what turn so the virus, we can prevent it from replicating. If it doesn't replicate and it can't kill cells and therefore can not spread. HSV is passed on by skin to skin contact of the infected region. If there is no longer an infection region, it will no longer be able to be passed on to a new host. Therefore, the HSV dies with the host. Hopefully this will be the end of HSV as we know it.
So there it is, this is what is consuming all my free time. I still have a lot of questions and if you want to know anything else or have questions please ask. I need to know this and be able to present my finding to a room full of old professors who will then grade me on my presentation.
But I gotta run. I'm meeting up with this guy Matt. It was so cute, he called me Wednesday to tell me he couldn't study with the group but then asked me if we wanted to meet up for lunch and then study all afternoon. I don't know when it happened but I love being the cute girl!!!!! I have at least one guy in every class that is crushing on me. I even have a bully! you know, one of those guys that is constantly picking on you and he laughs at everything I do. Even if I'm just sitting there he'll start laughing and when I ask why, he just tells me that I'm something else. Everyone comes up to me and is like, "he's crushing on you big time" Duh. I've able to tell for quite sometime how guys feel about me and use that to my advantage. I've been dating for a long time and I've gotten pretty good at it. Hell, I already had some one ask me out for Valintines day 2 weeks in advance. That made me feel special. But I'm off. Next week is going to be a bitch. Toodles. ~Sarah