INSTRUCTIONS - PROFESSORS: Please print and review this form. Complete or correct the sections, as applicable, from "Supervisor's Name" to "Ethics, safety, and training". Please sign and date near the bottom ("Supervisor's signature").
INSTRUCTIONS - STUDENTS: You may receive this form by email, or you may download it from www.mcgill.ca/science/research/ours/396 after it has been posted. Either way, print and review this form. Complete or correct the sections, from "Student's Name" to "Student's Level", and sign ("Student signature). Ask your supervisor to sign her/his section near the bottom. Take it to the department corresponding to the course number; this may or may not be your own department. Do not register for a '396' course on Minerva until you receive departmental permission. Have a discussion with your supervisor about time/work expectations, keeping in mind that this is a 3-credit course (roughly, 10 hours per week for 12 weeks). Remember that a '396' course is an elective.
INSTRUCTIONS - DEPARTMENTS: After the unit chair/director/designate approves (or not) this project, please notify student. If approved, please give student permission to register on Minerva, and fax this form (with signatures) to the Office for Undergraduate Research in Science at 514-398-8102. The Office for Undergraduate Research in Science will later post the project online at www.mcgill.ca/science/research/ours/396/listing, indicating whether the project is open for students to apply or taken.
QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? Contact Victor Chisholm by email, or phone 514-398-5964
Supervisor's Name: Chen Liang
Supervisor's Email: chen [dot] liang [at] mcgill [dot] ca
Supervisor's Phone: 514-340-8260
Supervisor's Website:
Supervisor's department: Microbiology and Immunology
Course number: MIMM396 (Microbiology)
Term: Winter 2011-2012
Project start date: Monday, January 9, 2012
Project end date: Monday, April 16, 2012
Project title: Understand the roles of TRIM24, TRIM28 and TRIM33 in LINE-1 replication
Project description: LINE-1 is the only active retroelement in human genome. Out of the 500,000 copies of LINE-1, about 100 copies are known to be active in vitro. Insertion of LINE-1 to new loci in the genome often causes DNA rearrangements and mutations. Therefore, cells have mechanisms to control LINE-1 replication. It has been known that TRIM proteins including TRIM24, TRIM28 and TRIM33 have roles in epigenetic silencing through recruiting chromatin modifying complexes. LINE-1 is subject to inhibition by these mechanisms. Our previous work by Justin Chan showed that knocking down each of these TRIM proteins led to increase in LINE-1 activity using a GFP-based reporter assay. The student will further investigate how these TRIMs inhibit LINE-1 through overexpressing either the wild type or mutated TRIM24, TRIM28 or TRIM33 and measuring their effects on LINE-1 retrotransposition. The student will also try to determine which step of LINE-1 replication is targeted by these three TRIM proteins by measuring LINE-1 RNA levels and cDNA production.
Prerequisite: 1 term completed at McGill + CGPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of instructor.
Grading scheme (The final report must be worth at least 50% of final grade): Final grade shall be based on laboratory performance as evaluated by the research supervisor (50%) and the final written research report (minimum 10 pages) graded by the supervisor and the course coordinator or the coordinator's delegate (50%).
Project status: This project is taken. The professor has no more '396' projects this term.
How students can apply: N/A; this project is filled.
Ethics, safety, and training: Supervisors are responsible for the ethics and safety compliance of undergraduate students. This project involves handling chemicals
Student's Name:
Student's McGill ID:
Student's Email (first [dot] last [at] mail [dot] mcgill [dot] ca):
Student's Phone:
Student's Program:
Student's Level (U0 / U1 / U2 / U3):
Student's signature - I have not applied for another '396' course in this term:
Supervisor's signature - I give my permission for the student identified above to register for this project under my supervision:
Date:
Unit chair/director/designate's name:
Unit chair/director/designate's signature - I certify that this project conforms to departmental requirements for 396 courses:
Date: