This Week in Photos: Alzheimer's Research</h1> <article> <h1>This Week in Photos: Alzheimer's Research</h1> <p>ygay — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 19:37:06 +0000</p> <span>This Week in Photos: Alzheimer's Research</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-08-05T15:37:06-04:00" title="Thursday, August 5, 2021 - 15:37">Thu, 08/05/2021 - 15:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A picture of a student transferring an opaque substance into a gel box in a neuroscience lab serves as inspiration for this week’s photo series.</p> <p>Alzheimer’s disease research is being performed in <a href="/monica-mariani" target="_blank">Visiting Assistant Professor Monica Mariani</a>’s neuroscience lab. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the immune response to Alzheimer's in order to discover novel avenues of treatment to improve the disease’s pathology. On this particular day, neuroscience major Elly Ragone ’23 and neuroscience and engineering double-major Shawn Ho ’24 are performing PCR and DNA electrophoresis. </p> <p>After filling the wells of a gel box with DNA and gel red the rig is hooked up to a voltage system. The group watches for nearly thirty minutes as DNA particles pass through an electric field. Moments later, the rig is removed from its power source and the group takes a short walk down the hall to use a gel documentation system in <a href="/tracie-paine" target="_blank">Associate Professor of Neuroscience Tracie Paine</a>’s laboratory. Today’s experiment is deemed a success after it is determined which DNA samples had the genes for Alzheimer's disease and which did not. As research progresses, the the group determines if cannabidiol oil (CBD) can suppress immune cell inflammation in the brain and reduce Alzheimer's plaques.</p> <hr> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Shawn Ho ’25 with Visiting Assistant Professor Monica Mariani. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Elly Ragone ’24 uses a pipette to fill the wells of a gel box. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Ho watches as DNA passes through an electric field. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>Mariani removes agarose gel with DNA and gel red from the gel box holder and places it on a petri dish. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The experiment is placed in a gel documentation system. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"> <figcaption>The group reacts to the experiment’s success. Photo credit: Yvonne Gay</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-08-05T12:00:00Z">Thu, 08/05/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2764">Science Center</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2546">Photo Feature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24611">Engineering, 3-2</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/monica-mariani" hreflang="und">Monica Olszens</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/tracie-paine" hreflang="und">Tracie Paine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/engineering" hreflang="und">Engineering, 3-2</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Students at work in Monica Mariani’s neuroscience lab.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>