In Biol 463, we do not have finals, instead we have a final project. Our final project is writing a research proposal on a research question we want to answer.
In my directed studies at the Auld lab, I study what proteins affect the localization of Gliotactin at the epithelial tricellular junction. I have stumbled upon literary on an interesting protein which is associated indirectly with Gliotactin–Disc large.
Here is my R&R as I was developing my research question on disc large.
FYI: Disc large mutants are found to have enlarged wing imaginal disc, that is why the protein is named disc large.
1. In developing the draft research question, I have learnt to utilize Blast and NCBI extensively. I was expecting to learn to use these databases extensively because I was aware how much information was available through NCBI. I have also learnt how to prioritize which research articles and journals to read while consulting peer reviews. I was expecting to learn how to properly read articles and journals as I was coming up with a research question for the first time.
2. I expected I would have trouble finding the proper candidate proteins to test to answer my research question. This expectation was contrary to the outcome. I ended up with close to 100 candidate proteins to choose from after blasting for related proteins from a known system. Systematically organizing information helped prioritize which proteins to test as some homologs of candidate proteins have been tested in other systems.
3. The best strategy I have developed to prioritize the testing of proteins by evaluating how many of the following criteria they fulfil.
-Proteins with high percent identity with human proteins known to be involved with DiscLarge1
-Proteins with highly conserved domains which are known to interact with DiscLarge
-Proteins with multiple isoforms can be tested with one RNAi which carries consensus sequences among all the isoforms.