Rokibat Bamidele, COL ’25, Philadelphia, PA
This summer, I had the privilege of continuing my research with the Kayser Lab on the genetics of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), building on the foundational work I began last year. The goal was to use our previous data to further identify genes that could help explain the genetic basis of AUD—a highly complex disorder that was once thought to be mainly environmental. Throughout my time, I learned a lot about genes and how crucial of a role they play in human behaviour.
A key part of our research was examining how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), small variations in DNA sequences, influence gene expression. Previous assumptions about SNPs were that they only impacted the nearest gene; however, chromatin conformation has been shown to produce interaction between distal genes as well. Alongside my mentor, I sought to uncover how these distal genes of those already known to influence AUD could play roles in the disorder.
The fly model provided a useful system for us to explore these genetic questions. We used gene lines that were manipulated using RNA interference (RNAi) to select for different expressions in fly orthologs of human genes. One of the major focuses of our investigation was on genes that influence sensitivity and tolerance to ethanol exposure. By observing how the flies responded to ethanol when specific genes were knocked down, we were able to narrow down a list of candidate genes likely to play significant roles in AUD. Our work this summer focused on screening these new genes, and we identified several that could potentially be of great importance.
One of the most interesting findings was how these newly identified genes affected the flies’ sensitivity to ethanol. We were particularly interested in genes that decreased sensitivity to ethanol, meaning that the flies remained un-sedated for longer periods of exposure. This observation could point to similar genetic mechanisms in humans that may influence susceptibility to alcohol addiction.
Reflecting on this summer, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue this important work and for the collaborative environment that made it possible. This experience deepened my understanding of how genetic research can be applied to complex human disorders and gave me hands-on experience with genetic manipulations. I look forward to continuing this research and further investigating these promising genes that could ultimately help us better understand and address the genetic components of Alcohol Use Disorder.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
