Week Four

As the weeks go by, much more of the analysis that comes with the experimentation that is taking place here at the lab is making sense to me. Any time that a summer student has a question, especially if it is asked for clarity on a particular subject of the experiment being done, the fellows here are more than glad to sit down for a few minutes and review many more concepts of immunology and their associations and implications in this field of study. For example, Carrie has a new student this week, and I've been able to listen to a few of her explanations, from the basics of the immune system to the different methods to how exactly a gene is "knocked out". I've gradually been absorbing more and more information, and it definitely gets easier!

An example of a concept that I've begun to grasp - A knocked out gene means that although it is still present, it is no longer expressed. One way to knockout a gene is to use a method of homologous recombination, by basically providing another pathway (a vector) for the mouse genome to follow for a specific gene, which essentially makes the gene usually in this replaced spot no longer expressed. To target and quantify those genes that follow this process of homologous recombination - that is, the genes that forego their original path and successfully take up the vector - a neomycin resistance gene can be used in the vector. This way, you ensure which mouse genomes have taken up the vector, and use only these mice for breeding chimeras. Another method is transgenic mice, which is a less specifically targeted approach to this.

Why are gene knockouts important? By knocking out specific genes, a researcher can enlarge the possibilities of research on various topics almost endlessly.

This week for experiments, I've seen another Elispot done on the peritoneal cavity cells of the mice taken down last week. Tuesday, we went out to dinner in Charlestown with Mr. Palm, which was a lot of fun! I've also been helping map and catalog more of the in vivo imaging data which Ellen and Tosh are working on. And on Friday, I got to do my first assay by myself! It's called an Elisa, and I'll be doing many more of these for the next few weeks.