Victor Zhong

Major: Biochemistry

Faculty Advisor: Doug Cole and Paul Rowley

Project Title:

Sequencing and locating double stranded RNAs in Euglena Mutabilis

Abstract

Leishmania and Trypanosoma are pathogenic protozoans that cause Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness. These diseases infect millions of people and animals every year. It is also known that the presence of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) correlates with increased pathogenicity of Protozoa. In recent years, dsRNA has been found in Euglena mutabilis that is a non-pathogenic protozoan that is a close relative to Leishmania and Trypanosoma. By studying dsRNA found in Euglena mutabilis (Em), it could give us a better insight to the pathogenicity of Leishmania and Trypanosoma. Phenol-Chloroform extraction was used to separate dsRNA from the rest of the nucleic acid. Next Generation sequencing, cellulose chromatography and dsRNA cloning were used to sequence dsRNA. Cell fractionation was used to separate different parts of the cell, which makes it possible to identify the subcellular distribution of dsRNA.

Funding: Idaho INBRE