Week 1: Getting Into the Flow of Things

Jana E -

Hey, everyone! I jut realized I didn’t really get to share an introduction on myself, and why I chose this specific field to model my senior research project after!

Ever since I was young, I always loved all sorts of sciences, but my heightened interest in biology began in the 10th grade, when I first learned about biotechnology. My Honors Biology teacher projected a picture of glowing pigs on the board and explained to us how new gene editing technologies had the ability to make genetic changes like that. Because of that lesson, I decided to center my end-of-the-year presentation around biotech and looked into even more of its seemingly limitless possibilities. Through my research, I learned about CRISPR/Cas9, a new technological innovation which made gene editing much easier. I learned about how scientists were using CRISPR for a plethora of different advancements: creating allergy-free foods, increasing the nutritional value of foods, curing diseases like malaria or sickle-cell disease, or even eugenics. 

The following summer, I participated in a biotech program at UC Berkeley, where we conducted mechanical arms and gel electrophoresis/PCR tests (for a mock crime scenario). I learned that biotech could be used even in fields like forensics, which I had previously believed to be completely unrelated. Biotech seemed infinite, and I loved how pursuing it didn’t tie me down to just one field; if I wanted, I could use biotech for medicine, the environment, or forensics. 

This specific research project delves down the medical path of biotechnology, specifically when it comes to the relationship between medical imaging technologies and medical advancements or discoveries. Next week, I will visit my site placement and be able to experience just how vital technology in medicine can be, especially when it comes to variations in arteriopathies. I can’t wait to show you guys what I learn!

Jana El-Gengaihy

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    ethan_f
    Hi Jana! Everything looks super interesting so far! What specific experience at UC Berkeley's biotech program sparked your realization about the versatility of biotechnology across different fields?
    February 12, 2025 at 11:20 pm - Reply
      jana_e
      Thanks! For me, it was definitely the mock crime scene labs. We had to conduct the tests we learned about in biology class (PCR tests) to try and see if a DNA sample matched the DNA from a mock crime scene. Previously, I had no idea biotech and forensics were even remotely related.
      February 18, 2025 at 1:30 pm - Reply
    sophia_l
    Hi Jana! I love that story about where your interests sparked from. Having been immersed in the field of forensics and now medicine, what is the main difference you have seen in the application of biotechnology between the two?
    February 13, 2025 at 1:55 pm - Reply
      jana_e
      Thanks Sophia! Biotech is usually used in forensics to identify DNA samples like fingerprints or identify substance use. It's like a bunch of different machines take in the samples and compare them to the DNA found on an item or at a certain scene. For medicine, there are so many more applications: modifying genes to cure diseases or creating different neurological imaging technologies, for example.
      February 18, 2025 at 1:33 pm - Reply
    braydon_k
    Hi Jana, I find it fascinating you are working with CRISPR and exploring how technologies like this can play a crucial role in understanding and treating various conditions, including arteriopathies. You mentioned you'll be seeing variations in arteriopathies at your site placement. Could you elaborate on which specific imaging technologies you'll be focusing on and how they contribute to understanding those variations?
    February 17, 2025 at 4:05 pm - Reply
      jana_e
      Thanks for the question! I'm not specifically working with CRISPR as of now, but many different imaging technologies are used to identify arteriopathies and strokes here at the hospital. From the look of it so far on site, angiograms are the most prevalent thing we're looking at. It is a medical imaging procedure that uses X-rays to see blood vessels and blood flow -- you can basically see if there is any blockage or bleeding.
      February 18, 2025 at 1:38 pm - Reply

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