Skyler Stone
Which grant that you received do you want to talk about?
Summer URG
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
I studied the genetics behind the drug resistance of parasitic nematodes. Parasitic nematodes impact an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide. Benzimidazoles, one of the primary drug classes used to treat parasitic nematode infections, target beta-tubulin in the microtubules in nematode cells. There is one gene that encodes for beta-tubulin that has been extensively studied, ben-1, but there are also five other genes that also encode for beta-tubulin that haven’t been as studied: tbb-1, tbb-2, tbb-4, tbb-6, and mec-7. I used CRISPR to knock out these genes in the model organism C. elegans in two different backgrounds, a wild-type and one with a ben-1 deletion already, and then conducted a variety of experiments to determine whether the gene has been deleted. Once that was confirmed, I ran a high-throughput assay to investigate the implications of these gene deletions on drug resistance by exposing these mutant strains to Albendazole, a specific benzimidazole. Data analysis is still underway, being done through R, but as of right now, it appears that only mutant strains with the ben-1 deletion were resistant to Albendazole.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
One of my core values is the dedication to a project that feels like it has a large impact on the broader community. This is why I decided to dedicate my life to value systems such as those imposed by Effective Altruism, which focuses on making your career have the greatest impact it can possibly have. As an overall fairly neglected issue and one that impacts billions of people, I was honored to receive this project when I first started in my lab under the Posner grant.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I’ve always been interested in many different things. As a STEM kid, I did theatre in high school and even won an art award. I’m a double major in Psychology and Biology simply because I love both. I think some of the best projects are the ones that surpass the boundaries of multiple disciplines, and that is often what leads to the most learning.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
It was definitely tricky. There is a lot of room for error and many of the techniques we use need to be developed over time. I’ve definitely messed up a couple of times, but I put in the work to fix the mistakes. I’ve gained not only the ability to do these techniques, but also the ability to think more critically about genetics and my project. I’ve also gained an extensive network of grad students, post docs, lab techs, and my PI, which I am forever grateful for. I’ve learned a lot about myself, too – as a FGLI student, I’ve felt like I am behind of all of my peers ever since I started university. However, doing this project has helped me gain confidence in the work I am doing while I am an undergrad at Northwestern.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Get out there. I cannot begin to express how important it is to just get out there and try new things, even if you don’t feel like you are good enough. You never know until you try and you put in the work. I started as a team of many undergraduates, all of whom were much more qualified than I am. However, I put in the work and the dedication to my project and I am now the singular undergraduate on my project and am writing the paper. It is insane what can be accomplished if you just put in the work.
What would you name a boat if you had one?
S.S. Allison after my father (RIP) and I’s middle name
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
The lore of the appalachian mountains
What was your favorite childhood story (written, spoken, or film)?
The one that goes “there were 10 in the bed and the little one says “roll over”” because my mom used to read that to my brothers and I every night