Students work to manipulate flies genes to their design

by Mitchell Stokes

For their research for the virtual portion of the Academic Showcase, sophomores Katherine Worth and Ibrahim Ayyash manipulated a gene from a fly that would have an effect on its eyesight.

The goal of the study was to take a piece of DNA and silence the CG7918 gene using an enzyme. This is the gene that controls the fly’s eyesight. Worth and Ayyash then put the silenced gene back into the fly and see how the fly reacts with the silenced gene that will have an effect on its vision.

Photo: Ibrahim Ayyash (DNA strands from the fly)

“This lab uses light CRISPR technology, giving my lab partner and I the ability to manipulate a flies gene to our design…getting a taste of that type of biotechnology so early in my undergraduate education is really cool.” said Ayyash in an in-person interview.

The technology used in this study can also be used on humans, making this study more interesting and adds to the question of what genes can be manipulated in humans using this technology.

“As a health science major, it was really interesting to see this kind of research done on our small campus by only sophomores. And observing their scientific method is good to learn from for those who want to go into physical therapy, like myself” said freshman viewer Samantha Landona in an in-person interview.