As our last biology project in Ms.Mathew's STEM class, my team and I decided to pitch an idea of gene therapy to potentially solve the problem of genetic diseases. Throughout the year we learned about genetically modified diseases and how they effect the population. In the span of 2 weeks, we were able to create a slideshow, finish research, come up with a solution, contact a mentor, create a plan for testing, and explain our pitch to a panel made up of individuals from the BUCK Institute for research on aging.
Protein Synthesis- the process by which amino acids are linearly arranged into proteins through the involvement of ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, messenger RNA, and various enzymes. Step 1: DNA found in the nucleus is split and transcribed via mRNA. Step 2: mRNA leaves the nucleus into the cytoplasm and associates with a ribosome. Step 3: Translation occurs where tRNA anticodons bond with mRNA codons. Step 4: Then rRNA creates peptide bonds between amino acids. Step 5: The polypeptide bonds between amino acids create a protein. Throughout our project we had to explain protein synthesis and involve it in our poster. Polypeptide Chain- a linear organic polymer consisting of a large number of amino-acid residues bonded together in a chain, forming part of , or a whole, protein molecule. This relates to the project because if there is a problem with the chain, it can messes up the disease. Proteins- nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms. Proteins are the building block of diseases in this project. RNA Polymerase- an enzyme that is responsible for copying a DNA sequence into an RNA sequence, duyring the process of transcription. This relates to our project because if it doesn't read the code right, then the disease and protein have mutations. Codon- a sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or RNA molecule. If there is a problem with the codons then it can affect the RNA which will cause problems in the proteins. Anticodon- a sequence of three nucleotides forming a unit of genetic code in a transfer RNA molecule, corresponding to a complementary codon in messenger RNA. If the code is read wrong, this causes mutations in our project. Degenerative- characterized by progressive, often irreversible deterioration, and loss of function in the organs or tissues. If there is a loss of function, there can be problems with the disease. Amino Acids-a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl and an amino group. This relates to our project because amino acids serve as the building blocks of polypeptides, and polypeptides serve as the building blocks of proteins. Since our project consists of proteins becoming a disease, the amino acids make polypeptides which are the building blocks of proteins. tRNA- (Transfer ribonucleic acid) a type of RNA molecule that helps decode a messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence into a protein. If the code is not read correctly, mutations occur which causes a problem with the proteins that cause disease. mRNA- (Messenger RNA) carries a portion of the DNA code to other parts of the cell for processing, created during transcription. This relates to our disease project because if the code is messed up, it can lead to a problem in the disease. Polypeptide Chain- Each polypeptide chain consists of smaller sub-units or amino acids that are linked together. This is used in our project when Prions- an infectious protein particle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid; thought to be the agent responsible for scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Since prions are responsible for the disease, if there is a mutation or problem in them it can immediately affect the disease. Alpha Helix- a common motif in the secondary structure of proteins and is a right hand-spiral conformation (i.e. helix) in which every backbone group donates a hydrogen bond to the backbone group of the amino acid located three or four residues earlier along the protein sequence. (Related to Protein Synthesis) Protein Folding- a protein structure assumes its functional shape or conformation. If there is a problem with the protein folding, it affects the protein's shape and ability to function. Transcription- the process by which the information in a strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA). We explained this process on the poster we created for this project. Translation- the process in which ribosomes in the cytoplasm or ER synthesize proteins after the process of transcription of DNA to RNA in the cell's nucleus. Translation relates to the protein to disease project because it is a step in protein synthesis, which creates the protein that can then cause a disease.
Conclusion/Reflection
Throughout this project I learned how to improve my collaboration skills tremendously since we had to work on our own computers most of the time, during and after school. I believe we did not do the best job with splitting up work on our google slides, but we managed to pull through and create a great presentation. I brought my leadership skills to a new level by contacting our mentor and asking questions as well as learning new information. Our mentor helped us a lot with content we needed on the rubric for this project. I am proud of the work we completed overall. A place of struggle was definitely working on the same document because it made it hard for Ms.Mathews to grade. We fixed this problem by communication between our group and Ms.Mathews.