Rose
Rose
Revere High School
Revere, MA
Mentors:
Brianna Silverman & Christine Danielle De Mata
Greka Lab
Rose entered the ӳý Summer Scholars Program determined to experience the pace and precision of cell biology research. Drawn to the Greka Lab’s work on the secretory pathway — the cellular network that transports proteins — she wanted to understand how disruptions to this system can lead to misfolded protein buildup, a hallmark of kidney disease and other proteinopathies.
Her project centered on a gene involved in vesicle trafficking. Using CRISPR-Cas9, Rose knocked out her gene of interest in kidney epithelial cells, then confirmed her edits with Western blotting. She employed iterative immunofluorescence (4i) microscopy to visualize changes in TMED9 levels and organelle structure, revealing increased TMED9 expression and more prominent secretory organelle markers in knockout cells. Immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed a direct interaction between the protein of interest and TMED9, strengthening the hypothesis that this protein regulates protein trafficking.
Over the summer, Rose developed technical expertise in gene editing, protein detection, and advanced imaging, while learning to troubleshoot and interpret complex experimental data. Her findings contribute to the Greka Lab’s broader goal of mapping the genetic regulators of the secretory pathway — insights that could inform strategies to treat protein misfolding diseases.
Reflecting on her experience, she said, “BSSP opened new doors to the STEM field and gave me valuable insight into my career options.” By summer’s end, Rose had not only generated new data for the lab but also built the confidence to see herself as a contributing member of the biomedical research community.
