What's That Smell?

The human body is composed of various complex systems that allow us to process information and trigger different responses. One of these responses that constantly affects our behavior is that of smell. Different odors and stimulants trigger our olfactory receptors and allow us to respond accordingly. However, the science behind what is happening is not well understood. Dr. Alan Nighorn's neurobiology laboratory at the University of Arizona (UA) aims to learn more about the olfactory system in the hawk moth and compare it to that of mammals.

In an effort to learn more about this system, Haroon Ashraf, a junior at UA, has been researching how this complex process works by studying the olfactory system of the hawk moth. In Dr. Nighorn's lab, he is trying to knockdown the levels of the NOS mRNA. NOS is responsible for producing nitric oxide, an important signaling molecule in both the hawk moth and humans. Ashraf aims to knockdown this gene in developing moths and examine the function of the olfactory system by examining olfactory-guided behavioral phenotypes. A better understanding of this system will help us to understand the human olfactory system.

Ashraf's work was funded in part by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (52005889) to the University of Arizona.


Future Teacher Working to Advance Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Desert Vista graduate and UBRP student Eileen O'Reilly has been studying Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). O'Reilly is involved in biological research with renal research specialists in Dr. Li-Wen Lai's laboratory, Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona (UA).

According to the PKD Foundation for Research in Polycystic Kidney Disease, PKD is one of the most common life threatening genetic diseases, affecting 12.5 million people worldwide. PKD is a highly debilitating disease, characterized by the development of multiple fluid filled cysts covering both kidneys, resulting in kidney failure. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure or treatment for this disease.

Previous research has found most PKD is associated with a defective PKD1 gene, which may disrupt normal cell proliferation and causes PKD. To understand how the defective gene disrupts the normal cell cycle, O'Reilly is using gene-silencing techniques to knock down the PKD1 gene expression in kidney cells.

O'Reilly and her fellow researchers plan to continue studying the relationship between the PKD1 gene and the development of PKD. She hopes this research will broaden our understanding of this disease and aid in the development of more effective treatment.

" It is exciting to be researching something that could have such a profound impact on so many people," she said.

O'Reilly's work is funded in part by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (52005889) to the University of Arizona.