Greg Sindberg , College of Biological Sciences 08'
Looking for suppressors of microRNA in c.elegans
Major
Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development
Mentor
Ann Rougvie
Brief Bio
I am originally from the Milwaukee area, but I still hate cold weather, although I am trying to make it more worthwhile by learning to snowboard. I am passionate about politics, especially in regards to science and the environment. I love to learn and to help others...and Gopher hockey.
Future Plans
I graduate this December with my B.S. and would like to work a research position for a couple of years to get a feel for what I want to do. Then I’d like to go back to graduate school. I am engaged to a wonderful woman named Lesley and we are planning the wedding for a little over a year away.
Why Research?
I got started in it because I wanted job experience in my field, and I knew it would aid me in finding a job after college having that experience. It was also a bonus that a lab was required for my major as well, but it is more enjoyment than a class.
What Did I Get from Research?
I enjoyed working with Ann as well as getting to know the graduate students in her lab. I have learned about a lot of things that weren’t necessarily encompassed in my specific research work. It is also nice to know that I contributed to some unique knowledge, and helped to continue a project that will certainly be continued after me.
How Did I Start?
She was a professor of mine; specifically my developmental biology class. I went to talk to her the following semester because I had really enjoyed the class and was interested in doing a research project within her field.
My Advice for Another Student:
Do not worry about figuring out exactly what your interests are before hand or exactly what you want your project to do. I did not think I would be able to do a project not having an idea of my own, but Ann helped me to come up with something to work on and it turned out to be extremely interesting. It may not be exactly what you want to do as a post-doctorate 10 years down the line, but it is great to get that experience and apply the knowledge gained to any future works.
Research Summary
I made mutants of the nematode worm C. elegans. The original worm that I started with was not able to lay eggs like normal, and I was looking for a mutation that reverted egg laying back to normal. This mutation, hopefully a suppressor, would allow me to characterize the activity of the microRNA that was affected by the original mutation. Now that I have some candidate mutations that meet the criteria, I am trying to locate them on the C. elegans DNA and map them to a specific location.