
Congratulations to
Nicholas Sawyer
Arts & Sciences
Biotechnology
Honors Thesis Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Ross
Thesis Title:
Regulation of UBQLN2 Liquid-Liquid phase separation through analysis of environmental biological and abiotic factors

. In this study, we explore the external factors which promote or hinder liquid-liquid phase separation in a UBQLN2 solution. We have done this through a series of experiments using varying NaCl concentration, urease concentration, and urea concentration. The regulation of urease, and its substrate, urea, is tremendously important to us as it is a novel factor that contributes a constant mixing of the environment offering a more accurate simulation of the inside of a cell. Through an understanding of the factors that affect UBQLN2 LLPS we may be able to further investigate a cure for neurodegenerative disease.
Links to Project Materials: