Rushikesh
Rushikesh
Sharon High School
Sharon, MA
Mentors:
MaryKate Tellier & Qiuyue Liu
dGTEX
Rushi (Rushikesh) joined the ӳý Summer Scholars Program excited to see how cutting-edge genomics could be used to capture the incredible complexity of human tissues. He became part of the Developmental Genotype-Tissue Expression (dGTEx) project, which extends the original GTEx effort by using single-cell technologies to generate an atlas of gene expression across developmental stages. This work is especially powerful because it combines both gene expression (GEX) and chromatin accessibility (ATAC) data to reveal not only which genes are active, but also how they are regulated in specific cell types.
Over the summer, Rushi trained in the full 10X Genomics Multiome protocol. He learned to isolate nuclei from postmortem lung and prostate samples, prepare GEX and ATAC libraries, and assess quality using the BioAnalyzer and qPCR. These wet-lab skills required precision and patience, as even small errors could compromise sequencing quality. Once the libraries were ready, he transitioned to the computational side, where he developed proficiency in Python, data wrangling, and visualization techniques.
Analyzing the sequencing data, Rushi identified distinct transcriptional signatures in specialized cell populations — including alveolar epithelial cells in lung and Schwann cells in prostate. His findings highlighted how tissue-specific cell types express unique sets of genes, providing new insight into cellular identity and function. These results contribute to the construction of dGTEx’s comprehensive reference atlas, which will be an invaluable resource for scientists studying human development and disease.
Beyond the technical results, Rushi’s project gave him a deep appreciation for the collaborative nature of large-scale genomics. He saw how wet-lab preparation, computational pipelines, and biological interpretation come together to generate impactful discoveries. Reflecting on his time at ӳý, he said, “BSSP taught me how to work in a lab environment and how to present my research study.” His summer experience not only gave him practical skills in both experimental and computational biology but also the confidence to communicate science clearly — tools he will carry forward in his academic journey.
