What Exactly Is My PhD About?

24th Jul 2025

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At the most basic level, what makes each of us unique is our DNA. Think of DNA as the instruction manual for building and running your body. A complete set of these instructions is called your genome. Unless you have an identical twin, your genome is entirely your own! And the fascinating part is that every single cell in your body carries a full copy of it.

While DNA holds the instructions, the real action happens thanks to proteins. Proteins are the tiny machines and structural elements that carry out nearly all the work inside your body. DNA contains recipes for making these proteins. Once made, proteins build your muscles and skin, fight infections, carry oxygen, and perform countless other vital tasks.

Among these proteins is a special group known as chaperones. Most proteins can fold themselves into the right shape once made and begin functioning. It is akin to a child figuring out how to put together a toy. But some proteins need extra help. That’s where chaperones come in. They help guide proteins into their correct shapes so they can function properly. And their role doesn’t stop there; chaperones are also part of the our cell’s cleanup crew. Just like a city needs garbage trucks to stay clean, our cells have sophisticated systems to deal with faulty or misfolded proteins. When this system fails, toxic protein clumps can build up, which can lead to serious diseases like Alzheimer’s or cancer.

My research focuses on two key proteins involved in this cellular waste management system:

p97 – Think of this as a molecular garbage truck. It grabs onto damaged or misfolded proteins and helps unfold or disassemble them so they can be fed into the cell’s shredder (proteasome).
A chaperone protein (name withheld) – This chaperone not only assists other proteins in folding but has been shown to interact with p97, possibly guiding which proteins get picked up for disposal.

By understanding how these two proteins work together, I hope to uncover new ways our body clears damaged proteins. This could help scientists and clinicians treat diseases where the cell’s cleanup system breaks down. To study these proteins, I use some incredibly advanced (and very cool!) equipment that allows me to actually see them. Proteins, just like people or plants, can be visualized! They’re just incredibly small, so we need powerful tools to observe them in action.