RUI: Substrate Reporters and Microelectrophoretic Tools for Lysate and Single-Cell Studies of PKB Activity in Dictyostelium discoideum

细胞间变异是细胞群体的一个重要特性，它对胚胎发育、免疫系统、嗅觉和许多其他正常和异常过程的理解具有重要意义。细胞间变异在这些过程中的作用目前还不清楚，在这个项目中，一个重要的信号蛋白的活性将在单细胞的单个细胞中测量，但社会，有机体。这将提供一个细胞接一个细胞的分辨率，以了解该系统中细胞可变性的重要性。本科生将有机会从事跨学科研究，包括生物化学、微流体、计算机模拟和新分析工具的开发。环AMP （cAMP）是一种信号（通过蛋白激酶B， PKB起作用），诱导细胞聚集并开始变形虫Dictyostelium disideum生命周期的社会阶段。PKB的微流控单细胞试验将在盘基骨柱的单细胞上进行，从而能够定量测量变异性，并更好地理解这种变异性在生物体响应cAMP信号时的重要性。

Cell-to-cell variation is an important property of cell populations that has implications for the understanding of embryonic development, the immune system, the sense of smell, and many other normal and abnormal processes. The role of cell-to-cell variability in these processes is currently not well understood, and in this project the activity of an important signaling protein will be measured in individual cells of a single-celled, but social, organism. This will provide, cell-by-cell, the resolution needed to understand in this system the significance of cell variability. Undergraduate students will have an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary research involving biochemistry, microfluidics, computer simulations and the development of new analytical tools.Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is a signal (acting through Protein Kinase B, PKB) that induces cell aggregation and the onset of the social phase of the life cycle of the amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum. Microfluidic single-cell assays of PKB will be carried out on single cells of Dictyostelium, enabling quantitative measurement of variability and a greater understanding of the significance of this variability as the organism responds to signaling with cAMP.