Student Optimizes a DNA-Based Tool to Address Disease

How did you choose your research project and what were the biomedical issues your work addressed?

I came to graduate school with broad scientific interests. When my mentor, Dr. Maher, described the technology known as "aptamers," I was immediately excited about learning an approach that addresses biomedical questions in many fields of study.

My research focused on identifying aptamers, small segments of nucleic acid — DNA or RNA — that can be selected for their ability to bind to molecules or cells in order to affect a biological process. These can be used as therapies for disease.

Like antibodies that are used as treatment, aptamers can bind tightly to a specific target, but aptamers have several advantages. While antibodies that exist in the body represent approximately 10 billion potential shapes, we can test more than 100 trillion aptamer shapes for the best fit. In order to amplify aptamers that bind, we design conditions to separate those that bind well from those that don’t. The best candidates can be further weeded and multiplied using the highly accessible technique of polymerase chain reaction, an option not available for antibody therapy.

I’ve applied this technology to many areas of biomedical research, collaborating on projects working toward therapies for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), glioblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, osteogenesis imperfecta and others. Our team has published several studies, with several more publications underway. In addition to pursuing therapies, I have used aptamer technology to develop tools relevant to areas such as structural biology and aging research. I’ve also worked on developing techniques that select aptamers capable of performing a function, such as the ability to reach subcellular compartments rather than solely binding to a target.

What special Mayo Clinic facilities and resources were essential to your research and your growth as a scientist?

Dr. Maher encouraged me to expand my expertise through coursework, collaboration, and the use of Mayo’s state-of-the-art core facilities, including the Genome Analysis Core, Proteomics Core, and Metabolomics Core. Each step opened up new opportunities. For instance, I was able to take a course on nuclear magnetic resonance, also known as NMR. That led me to work with the Metabolomics Core, learning to apply NMR to determine concentrations of specific metabolites within cells. While NMR began as a side interest of mine, my interactions with other scientists led to my participation in several research projects.

What’s next?

I’ll be continuing my training as a postdoctoral fellow at Mayo Clinic. I’d like to continue to apply aptamers to interesting scientific questions and branch into applying similar principles to proteins as well. I have interests in structural biology, metabolomics, and proteomics. My career goal as a scientist is to come up with creative solutions and new tools for problems or needs in research.