NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2016

Adams Tayloria, Laguna Hills CA

Investigators

Abstract

Postdoctoral Fellow: Tayloria Adams Proposal Number: 1612261 This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to develop novel cell-based biosensors and increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Tayloria N.G. Adams is "Novel separation of neural lineage cells to determine progenitor cell characteristics." The host institution for this fellowship is the University of California-Irvine and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Lisa Flanagan. The goal of this project is to sort and characterize neural stem progenitor cells with a multiple frequency dielectrophoresis (DEP) system, which employs electric fields to induce cell motion based on intrinsic cell properties. More specifically, the Fellow is creating a DEP microdevice to isolate distinct progenitor cells based on their differences in membrane capacitance and using biological assays to determine the critical cell molecules contributing to membrane capacitance. In the central nervous system, neural stem cells form specialized neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes that work together to form neural networks that transmit information. A challenge with neural stem cells is that little is known about their transition from stem cells to distinct progenitor cells on their way to forming final specialized cells. Dielectrophoresis, a technology that relies on electric fields to study cells, offers a solution by providing information about cell's membrane capacitance, which can be used to identify progenitors that will form astrocytes and neurons. However, the molecular components that contribute to membrane capacitance are not well studied. The Fellow's research is enabling the characterization of cell surface molecules that regulate whether a neural stem cell becomes an astrocyte versus a neuron. The Fellow's research fills a scientific gap by explaining membrane capacitance in terms of biological function/characteristics, thereby bridging two disparate fields - cell biology and chemical engineering. Ultimately, the Fellow's studies are helping to uncover important differences in these cells and shed light on the processes that control cell generation during brain and spinal cord formation. The Fellow is being trained in an interdisciplinary capacity, merging biology and engineering, and is broadening participation of underrepresented groups by increasing minorities in STEM. The Fellow's training includes responsible conduct of research training, career counseling, and professional networking. The Fellow, recognizing the importance of support programs for minority students in academia, is working with an afterschool program, Girls Inc., to broaden participation. As part of this effort, the Fellow is providing girls in grades 5-12 with a biological sciences curriculum designed to explore organ structure and function. The Fellow's contributions include curriculum development, co-teaching, and implementing scholarship/internship application components to introduce students to STEM opportunities. For the girls in this program, the Fellow is reinforcing a positive learning environment, building confidence, and establishing a sense of belonging in science and engineering.