Science is Addictive
For a contest earlier this year, we posed the question “Where did your Bio Begin?” and you answered with a creative collection of photos, stories and videos to demonstrate your passion for biology.
Dr. Sleutel’s lab was one of the grand prize winners who received a Custom Zinc Finger Nuclease.
The Sleutel Lab in their Bio-shirts!
This creative group won for their entry Science is addictive like M(aterials) & M(ethods).
We caught up with the Sleutel lab to learn more about their research, the inspiration for the video and what they plan to do with a Custom Zinc Finger Nuclease.
What is the focus of your research?
We are focusing on the fundamental question of how our genes are regulated and how this regulation can be influenced in the context of the packaged chromatin in the nucleus. Specifically we have been studying the CTCF protein family. These proteins contain 11 zinc fingers that in different combinations are used to bind to DNA. Binding to DNA generates DNA loops such that depending on the loop context genes can be switched off or on. We investigate CTCFs chromatin looping, effects on gene regulation and other epigenetic results using Embryonic Stem cells and mouse models in which we have disrupted and tagged genes and loci by gene targeting (using conventional homologous recombination strategies)
What do you plan to do with the ZFN? How will it benefit your work going forward?
Still here we are brainstorming. But this technology allows us to manipulate genes in a cellular context rather flexibly. More to come! Sigma Bio Blogs will follow-up once the lab has more information on their use of the ZFN.
What was the inspiration for your video?
We have a Ph.D. in the lab, named Suzie, who is very fond (not to mention the word addicted) of the M&M chocolates. Her thesis deals with the function of the 11 zinc finger protein CTCF. Having our technician Michael dress up as an M&M was the hilarious start of the story in which he plays Suzie who has ups and downs in her Ph.D. project.
How did you develop your video submission? Who were the brains behind it?
The video was entirely shot on the Erasmus Medical Center and mostly in the lab. The brain behind the video was Group Leader Frank Sleutels. Every year, he inspires and pushes the lab members to join in making an absurd, crazy and inspiring silly science video. There is no better way in team building than making such a video. Some of these can be found on Youtube. A couple of these videos were shown on Dutch TV and he even got contacted through Youtube by the Discovery Channel.
To stay on top of technology we are planning to make this year’s video in 3D. So stay tuned!
For now, you can view their winning video.
