Anwar
Anwar
Methuen High School
Methuen, MA
Mentors:
MaryKate Tellier & Qiuyue Liu
dGTEX
Anwar joined the ӳý Summer Scholars Program eager to engage in research that bridges wet-lab experimentation and computational analysis. He became part of the Developmental Genotype-Tissue Expression (dGTEx) project, an ambitious effort to build an atlas of gene expression at the resolution of individual cells across tissues and developmental stages. Unlike bulk RNA sequencing, which averages gene activity across millions of cells, the dGTEx project applies single-cell and multiomic technologies to reveal how gene expression and regulation vary across cell types — knowledge essential for understanding the origins of disease.
Over the summer, Anwar focused on profiling lung and prostate tissues using the 10X Genomics Multiome protocol, which simultaneously measures gene expression (GEX) and chromatin accessibility (ATAC) from the same sample. After initial training, he gained hands-on experience with nuclei isolation, careful pipetting, and preparation of sequencing libraries. He also learned to validate the quality of his libraries using the BioAnalyzer and qPCR, mastering techniques that require both precision and consistency.
Once sequencing was complete, Anwar shifted to the computational phase of the project. Using Python and specialized bioinformatics pipelines, he analyzed single-cell data to identify and annotate cell clusters. His work revealed distinct transcriptional and regulatory signatures in alveolar epithelial cells of the lung and Schwann cells of the prostate. These findings underscored the value of single-cell methods in identifying unique gene programs that bulk analyses would miss.
Anwar’s contributions advance dGTEx’s mission of creating a reference atlas that researchers around the world can use to study human development and disease. Along the way, he learned how wet-lab and computational efforts complement one another — and how collaboration between people with different expertise drives discoveries forward.
Reflecting on his experience, Anwar said, “BSSP isn’t just another program, it’s transformative and inspiring… Moving on, I am confident in my ability to pursue specialized career paths and tackle challenges.” His summer gave him not only technical expertise but also the confidence to see himself as part of a scientific community working at the cutting edge of genomics.
