Life Science

Checking cancer cells' health

2011-09-12T17:23:00.001-04:00

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Location:E 100th St,Cleveland,United States

It's an art!

2011-09-08T00:27:00.002-04:00

As you can see (from the videos below), research is 50% science and 50% art!

Growing Cancer Cells: Part 2

2011-09-08T00:20:00.001-04:00

Growing Cancer Cells: Part 1

2011-09-07T23:47:00.002-04:00

After School Internship at The Cleveland Clinic

2011-09-07T23:35:00.002-04:00

This year we are happy to announce that we are offering an after school extended internship at The Cleveland Clinic. Dedicated science students that are eager to learn the intricacies of scientific research while trying to solve real world problems are invited to apply. Dr. Tuohy's lab specializes in immunology and has developed a breast cancer vaccine which is expected to go into clinical trials soon. Michael Pallotta and Thomas Kuo are this year's interns.

2011-09-01T23:49:00.001-04:00

Removing cancer cells from liquid nitrogen storage.

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School year internship at The Cleveland Clinic

2011-09-01T23:45:00.001-04:00

Genotyping transgenic mice.

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DNA Necklace Lab

2010-02-04T11:07:00.004-05:00

Freshman DNA Necklace

2010-02-04T10:22:00.001-05:00

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Another biotech class finishes.

2010-01-18T06:24:00.001-05:00

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Follow the yellow brick road!

2009-11-12T11:15:00.001-05:00

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AP Biology at the Genetics Update Conference

2009-11-11T22:44:00.001-05:00

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Biology is an Art

2009-10-25T17:48:00.002-04:00

-by Eun Cho
Class of 2011

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AP Biology Mammal Respiration Lab

2009-10-22T10:57:00.000-04:00

Cranial Gunshot Wound

2009-01-07T21:27:00.001-05:00

Part of FIX (Forensic Investigating Xperiment) forensic science club collection.

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Forensic Science Club

2009-01-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

Specimens for the forensic anthropology our students learn.

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Hands-on in Biotech

2009-01-07T21:10:00.001-05:00

Mouse restraint is not easy!

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Do not name the mice, they are for research!!!

2008-09-23T19:42:00.002-04:00

Well, here we are at the beginning of another school year and already our biotechnology class is evolving. This year I’ve decided to follow mainstream science and concentrate on experimenting with proteins. Back when I was learning these techniques in 2000, everything was about DNA and how it would revolutionize the world of genetics. Since then we’ve completed the Human Genome Project and have determined that we have roughly the same number of genes as a chicken and only one third greater than that of a roundworm. The puzzling part (if that isn’t puzzling enough) is that we have three times as many kinds of proteins. So how can that be? Isn’t it one gene one protein? Not any more, enter the study of RNA and proteomics (the study of protein structure and function). Nowadays if you are not an RNA specialist then you are definitely a protein chemist but there still seems to be a great shortage of interested scientists.

Here at WRA, the biology department has decided to raise interest in the field by incorporating experiments dealing with proteins. We’ve brought in equipment, reagents, and laboratory mice to help us along our journey of investigation. Our students’ success will be further bolstered by the opportunity to work one-on-one with research scientists at the Cleveland Clinic next summer. They will be able to put to practice all the hands-on laboratory techniques learned at WRA in a real research lab. Go Pioneers!

WRA Biotech Students Tackle Research at The Cleveland Clinic

2008-07-16T11:56:00.007-04:00

This summer three WRA students (Jessie Gruden, Kerri Symes, and Sheila Seetharaman) decided to put their learned skills to the test and so joined the Tuohy Lab at the Lerner Research Institute. Jessie paired up with Dr. Ritika Jaini and has been fortunate enough to help with research involving mouse models of Multiple Sclerosis, protein purification, mouse perfusions and dissections. Kerri has been working with Mr. Justin Johnson (our molecular scientist) involving recombinant DNA, insect cell cultures, and viral assisted delivery of nucleic material. Sheila has been working with me on culturing bacteria and protein purification which will lead up to mouse immunization in an effort to induce an autoimmune response to the ovaries. It has really been great to see our students work so hard and gain so much knowledge this past month and a half. Our principal investigator, Dr. Vincent Tuohy, really seems pleased with the work they’ve done.

pGREEN Bacteria

2008-05-08T23:14:00.002-04:00

Biotech has been transforming E. coli bacteria using a green fluorescent protein that comes from a jellyfish. A successful transformation was confirmed by either a color change in the bacteria from white to yellow/green or fluorescence under UV light. This is a common laboratory method used to check whether or not the plasmid DNA was successfully introduced inside the bacterial cell.

What's happening now?

2008-04-10T22:07:00.001-04:00

Once again the biotech class is working on cheek cell DNA extractions. The difference is that this time I had them first practice purifying bacterial DNA and then moved into hair DNA analysis followed by cheek cell DNA analysis. This will hopefully increase the chances of obtaining a good DNA fingerprint. We shall see!

On another note, the forensic science club received their first set of tools in forensic anthropology which they will get to apply at our next meeting. We will begin with the examination and identification of the skeletal remains collected at the crime scene. What a great time to be a science teacher and a science student for that matter.

Exhibit A

2008-03-03T13:14:00.004-05:00

FIX, our forensics science club, analyzed and collected evidence for their first mock crime scene this past weekend. A witness reported finding a plastic trash bag with a skull inside and so FIX rushed to barricade the scene and then search for evidence. Some of the articles they collected along with a skull and mandible were a glove, rib, and high caliber bullet. Their next step is to analyze the evidence in the lab using some of the past techniques they’ve learned as well as new ones that they will have to learn. It sounds like they don’t have much to go on but I am confident they will succeed in solving it.

The beginning of the end?

2008-02-15T14:20:00.004-05:00

Well, it was sad saying goodbye to the first biotech class at WRA but at the same time I was excited about implementing new ideas into the second class. One thing that is new this second semester is the lab notebook which is no longer a binder but rather a bound, green, hardcover book that is exactly like the one we use at the Cleveland Clinic. The students now have to write down all of their experimental procedures, any notes I write on the board, any chemical protocols, and any other information they might deem pertinent. When they walk in to work on their experiment, they are only allowed to use their lab notebooks as reference. Also, in order to encourage proper note taking, I’ve allowed them to use their notebooks on their lab practical. Their practical still consists of timed, one minute questions but they now tend to be a little more detailed.

What I am trying to model here is the type of note taking we do at the Cleveland Clinic. When you are learning a new technique, the scientist teaching you is not going to tell you what to write down but instead is just going to ramble away and you will be expected to identify and write down all the pertinent information. If you fail to do so, then you might be stuck the next time you have to perform the procedure. If you go ask the scientist to repeat himself/herself they might be willing to help or they might just tell you to get lost all depending on how busy they are (not that this has happened to me). With this I hope to give our students another edge over other novice scientists.

This is a mid-term exam????

2008-01-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

Well, Biotechnology is now working on their mid-term exam. The reason I mention it is because I am sure that it is not the type of exam they are used to taking. It is all hands-on and involves using all the different techniques they have learned throughout the semester. The only guidance they have from me is a list of tasks they have to complete by the end of the class period. They are allowed to use their lab notebooks and to work together with their lab partner but they may not ask any of the other lab teams for help. As a matter of fact, the only thing they are allowed to ask me is where something is (equipment, chemical, etc.). I say lab team because that is exactly what they are, you should see the way they’ve been dividing up tasks in order to ensure that they get everything done on time! As long as they have their notebooks in order, remember how to perform each task, and are able to work as a team, they should have no problem. They are now on their 3rd day and I must say that I am really enjoying watching them work!

FIX

2007-12-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

These last couple of weeks, leading into midterm exams, the forensics club known as Forensics Investigation Xperiment (FIX) has been training for their first crime scene. They began by learning how to compare broken glass samples by measuring their density and then how to analyze hair samples. Their next training session will deal with how to extract DNA from hair, amplify it, and then construct a DNA fingerprint. Soon they will have their first crime scene to investigate; the question is will they be able to solve it?

Do you know what your DNA fingerprint looks like?

2007-11-09T15:12:00.001-05:00

WRA’s biotechnology students certainly know! They have been working hard these past two weeks first learning how to extract DNA from hair and then from cheek cells. They achieved this by rupturing the cells and then getting rid of all the proteins and cell debris. They then made millions of copies of the DNA using a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which clones the DNA by cycling it through various temperatures and then they built their DNA fingerprint.

The DNA test they used is one commonly used for paternal testing and in some crime labs. The only difference is that they tested only one specific area of chromosome 1 as opposed to the 15 or so that are used for such tests. After a couple of misses, the students finally obtained good results today.

All is well at the front!

2007-10-21T23:52:00.000-04:00

Well, my students have now begun to tackle some of the more difficult subjects in AP Biology. Cell signaling, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis always seem to be among the most difficult for students since they deal with a lot of biochemistry. Many of the processes involve the use of spatial temporal reasoning which can enervate even the best students. The first week reminded me of the first 20 minutes of the movie “Saving Private Ryan” but I believe we are now past the beach front and making steady progress towards Ryan. All I know is that once we reach him he WILL come back with us whether he wants to or not!

DNA Fingerprinting

2007-10-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

Students have now completed their first analysis of DNA that was treated with three enzymes that acted as “molecular scissors” and cut the DNA at specific sequences. They are now working on quantifying the individual DNA fingerprint bands left behind by these “digests” using two different methods. The first involves very sophisticated equipment called a ruler and logarithmic graph paper and the second a very plain software program called Logger Pro (yes, it IS sarcasm).

As in a lot of other techniques, it is always best to learn the crude method first in order to better understand the easier “click and you are finished” computerized method. The students always look like they are having a blast (as long as it is not the 8 AM class) and they really seem to grasp the intricate details involved with experimentation in biotechnology which is the whole idea behind this course.

Class Update

2007-09-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

AP Biology has already completed 5 chapters and is almost through Chapter 6. It is very fast paced but then again so are most college courses. They already worked through 3 labs including a brand new one that I added dealing with protein purification. Our students were able to learn techniques that I’ve used at Cleveland Clinic with my research and I was very pleased with the level of understanding that our advanced students displayed.

In Biotechnology, we’ve worked through basic instrument use and techniques and have learned how to culture bacteria and identify them through the use of antibiotic resistance genes. Today they began their first procedures which will take them to the completion of their first bacteria DNA Fingerprint analysis. All of our students are handling this level of scientific study very well and are showing great promise for any future scientific endeavor they decide to undertake.

Bells and Whistles

2007-08-21T15:31:00.001-04:00

In-between all the research I’ve been working on at Cleveland Clinic, I’ve also been setting up my classes on Blackboard. This will give my students access to the notes they need for class, PowerPoint lectures presented in class, videos, and animations. I would also like to incorporate a discussion board where students can post questions on topics they do not understand and other students can post answers.

I have also incorporated Turning Point into the slides which will allow the students to interact with the presentation by answering a question posted on a slide by simply pressing on the appropriate answer on their personal remote control device. I used this in some of my classes last year and the students really seemed to like them.

By the way...

2007-07-25T14:51:00.000-04:00

I've now decided to stay in Dr. Tuohy's lab and skip my second rotation. I became so fascinated with my project that I just had to stay. If you'd like to learn more about what we do in the lab, please visit our web page at the following link: http://www.lerner.ccf.org/immuno/tuohy/

New Biotech Techniques

2007-07-25T14:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I placed an order for some equipment that will help us take the new biotech class to the next level. We will soon have a gel apparatus that will allow us to conduct a protein test known as SDS-PAGE followed by what is known as a Western Blot which together help scientists gauge the amount of protein in a sample. This might seem insignificant but when you think about conducting research on the effects of a protein on the body, you first have to prove you have enough purified protein to begin with. These are just a couple of techniques I've learned at the Cleveland Clinic and am anxious to share them with my students at WRA. This could be the beginning of some fantastic independent research projects!

Biotechnology

2007-07-05T11:38:00.000-04:00

With the help of the Dad’s Club we have been able to order new lab kits that will help our students gain hands on experience in forensics and biotechnology. This will range from forensic anthropology to gene cloning and will also include some all-time CSI favorites such as DNA fingerprinting. Here at the Cleveland Clinic I’ve learned how to purify proteins of interest and complete a Western Blot which can be used to quantify protein. These are techniques which I plan to bring back to WRA and teach to our students sometime in the near future. It’s an overwhelming learning experience but well worth it.

What's happening this summer?

2007-06-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

As a doctorate student at CSU in Regulatory Biology, I am taking classes and working on two lab rotations at The Cleveland Clinic. The first lab rotation, which runs until July 20th, will be in Dr. Tuohy’s immunology lab. His team of researchers, which I am now a part of, is involved in the development of vaccines for cancer and gene therapy for therapeutic treatment of multiple sclerosis.

My second rotation is in Dr. Aldred’s lab in the genomic medicine section. Here I will be exposed to all the great expensive equipment I’ve only read about in textbooks as I look for a hereditary correlation involving pulmonary hypertension. Both experiences I’m sure will give me more practical experience that I can bring back to the Reserve classroom.