Laboratory Training and Research in Breast Cancer

描述（由申请人提供）：在NIGMS少数民族研究机会（MORE）计划下的拟议调查将为申请人M. Gunasekaran博士提供一个机会，拓宽他在分子生物学研究方面的科学背景，不仅在医学真菌学方面，而且在癌症生物学领域。MORE奖励的财政支持将为申请人提供部分时间的释放。在此期间，他将在担保人的实验室（Meharry医学院的Gautam Chaudhuri博士）全力从事研究工作。这项调查的总体目标是：(1)获得对乳腺癌研究中涉及的不同分子生物学技术的原理和应用的基本理解；(2)与研究发起人、位于田纳西州纳什维尔的梅哈里医学院的高塔姆·乔杜里博士及其同事合作，发起并开展与乳腺癌生物学相关的研究。拟议研究的具体目标是：(1)利用染色质免疫沉淀引导结联和选择技术筛选启动子芯片，鉴定和表征slug调控的基因启动子；(2)通过实时定量PCR和Northern分析，评估侵袭性和非侵袭性人乳腺肿瘤细胞以及非肿瘤细胞（如HMEC细胞）中潜在的slug调控基因的mRNA水平；(3)设计和评估针对SLUG DNA结合域的DNA诱饵，以刺激SLUG调控基因在人乳腺细胞中的表达。申请人最终将向菲斯克大学的本科生、研究生和博士后介绍通过MORE项目获得的培训所获得的知识体系。这将使申请人能够在基础科学领域进行原创性研究，如癌症生物学和医学微生物学。菲斯克大学和梅哈里医学院都将从这次合作中受益。我们将鼓励菲斯克研究生从乳腺癌合作研究领域选择一个研究项目作为他们的硕士论文。在完成菲斯克大学的硕士学位要求后，他们将能够无缝地继续他们在梅哈里学院的博士学位研究。这将为有兴趣从事研究学科的学生提供最好的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed investigation under the NIGMS Minority Opportunities for Research (MORE) program will provide an opportunity for the applicant, Dr. M. Gunasekaran, to broaden his scientific background in molecular biological research not only in medical mycology but also in the area of Cancer Biology. The financial support from the MORE award will provide partial time release for the applicant. During that period, he will concentrate fully in research at the sponsor's laboratory (Dr. Gautam Chaudhuri, Meharry Medical College). The overall objectives of this investigation are: (1) to acquire a fundamental understanding of the principles and applications of different molecular biology techniques involved in breast cancer research and (2) to initiate and conduct research associated with breast cancer biology in collaboration with the research sponsor Dr. Gautam Chaudhuri and his associates at Meharry Medical College, a neighboring institution located in Nashville, TN. The specific objectives of the proposed research are: (1) to identify and characterize SLUG-regulated gene promoters by screening a promoter microarray employing the Chromatin Immuno-Precipitation-Guided Ligation And Selection analysis, (2) to evaluate the mRNA levels of potential SLUG-regulated genes by real-time quantitative PCR and Northern analysis in invasive and non- invasive human breast tumor cells as well as non-tumor cells such as HMEC ceils, and (3) to design and evaluate DNA decoys against the DNA binding domain of SLUG to stimulate the expressions of SLUG- regulated genes in human breast cells. The applicant will ultimately introduce the undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows at Fisk University to the body of knowledge that has been derived from the training obtained through the MORE program. This will enable the applicant to conduct original research in fundamental sciences such as Cancer Biology in addition to Medical Microbiology. Both Fisk University and Meharry Medical College will benefit from this collaboration. We will encourage Fisk graduate students to select a research project for their Masters' thesis from the collaborative research area of Breast Cancer. After fulfilling requirements for an M.S. degree from Fisk University, they will be able to seamlessly continue their research toward a Ph.D. from Meharry College. This will provide the best opportunity to students with interest in pursuing careers in research disciplines.