SUMMER RESEARCH TRAINING IN MEMBRANE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2008 NSF REU SITE PROGRAM at the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
The Department of Internal Medicine-Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, College of Medicine is pleased to offer this research project as part of the 2008 summer NSF-REU Site Program administered by the Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics.  Students interested in this project are urged to contact Professor Rothenberg to discover more about the project, learn what your responsibilities will be during the ten-week research training program.
Project #: 08 - 018  Faculty Supervisor/Mentor: Florence Rothenberg, MS, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases Division Email: florence.rothenberg@ uc.edu
Role of Wnt signaling in cardiomyocyte survival and identity.
General background and significance of the project: Cardiomyocytes, the cells responsible for cardiac contraction, are contained within an energy dependent multifunctional bio-membrane that serves both a barrier and communicator surface to the exterior environment. Injury to the bio-membrane is integral to cell injury and capacity to repair engages this bio-membrane as well. The Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in cell injury and repair. The goal of this work is to identify bio-targets along the Wnt signaling pathway that will support cardiomyocyte function. The goal of this project is to explore the importance of Wnt signaling in determining cell identity, survival, and repair using cultured cardiomyocytes as a model system, and to define key signals that may be involved in so-called protection from injury in this sell type.
What the REU Student can gain from participating in this project: The REU student will be exposed to current literature and critical questions being addressed in cardiovascular biology and commonality among other bio-membrane contained cell types. The REU student will gain an appreciation of many of the bench techniques that are used to explore cell biology, and how to formulate and design experiments. The REU student will participate in laboratory meetings designed to train him or her in communicating scientific questions and findings. Significant contributions made by the REU student will earn co-authorship on presentations and publications that arise from these investigations.
Brief description of proposed research and activities for the 10-week REU period: The REU student will learn cell culture techniques and biochemical methods of investigating Wnt signaling as an example bio-membrane process linked to intracellular events and pathways. The REU student will learn applicable biotechnology procedures used to determine the influence of environmental constituents on cultured living cells with multifunctional bio-membranes. The REU student will investigate the role of various Wnt proteins on heart muscle cell characteristics, including bio-membrane properties during oxygen deprivation. The REU student will apply electrophoresis methods to investigate changes in protein binding and gene expression that occur in low oxygen states, and how Wnt proteins influence these interactions. The REU student will work closely with all members of the laboratory and will develop a project of his or her own.