Single Cell Dynamics Along The Central Dogma In The Drosophila Embryo
Kian Naini (2027) | Molecular and Cell Biology
Kian is a SURF L&S scholarship recipient majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. For his SURF project this summer, Kian is studying how gene regulatory networks drive pattern formation during embryonic development in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. By combining live embryo imaging with computational modeling of protein diffusion and gene expression dynamics, he aims to understand how single cells organize into structured tissues and how molecular processes shape variability and pattern formation during development.
What made you choose this research project? How did your interest in your research topic emerge?
I have always been interested in genetics and data analysis. I formed a relationship with my faculty mentor, Professor Hernan Garcia, through the URAP program. Professor Garcia’s lab studies embryonic development, using quantitative experiments and statistical mechanics to gain insight into cellular decision making during development. I found these to be very interesting ideas, so I sought to choose my own research project contributing to this overall research goal.
What is your project about (in simple terms)? How does it relate to issues or ideas you have been studying in your coursework?
My project’s goal is to establish a quantitative, model-based view of the development of Drosophila fly embryos. Although embryo-wide models of pattern formation provide important insight, embryonic cells make decisions based on local cues without knowing global concentrations, and single-cell responses to real-time neighboring environments remain largely unexplored. The main questions of my research are: “What are some ways that the embryo mitigates noisy transcriptional signals in single cells?” and “How effective are the processes of the central dogma at reducing noise?” I have studied the central dogma extensively in genetics and biochemistry classes, and my research is an application of what I have learned.
What are you most excited about this summer? Will your research entail travel, access to special collections, or experiments?
I am most excited to collaborate and learn from other researchers. I am going to be conducting experiments throughout the summer on campus.
What do you hope to learn from this experience? What would success look like for you? What challenges do you anticipate confronting?
I hope to learn new experimental techniques as well as general research and life skills through the SURF workshops. Success would look like making progress towards eventually publishing my work. In research, experiments often have unforeseen complications that make them go awry, and I suspect that this will be a challenge that comes up this summer.
What do you hope comes out of this research? What impact do you hope your research will have?
I hope that this research will help improve the understanding of Drosophila fly embryos. Previous studies have only tested fixed embryos, where development is measured at fixed time points rather than continuously throughout time. With the resources my faculty mentor can provide, I hope to explore development in live embryos to account for all time points.