Intern: Sara Millis
Mentor: Dr. Jixang Cao
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Danial Morse
Supporting Grant Agency: Materials Research Lab
Academic Major: Biology
Project Title: "Sequencing of the pI3 Protein from the Abalone Shell: Relationship with Biomineralization and Biomaterials "
Abstract: The abalone is a marine gastropod which makes a highly ordered shell composed of two forms of calcium carbonate crystals, aragonite and calcite, along with multiple proteins. The proteins are believed to guide the biomineralization process as well as provide added strength to the to the structure of the shell. It is hoped that with greater understanding of the biomineralization process of the abalone, along with other organisms, scientists will be able to understand the mechanisms of nanoscale controls and replicate these controls in vitro. My project is focused on one particular protein referred to as pI3. This protein is found inside the aragonite crystals which make up the interior of the shell matrix. This is the most abundant of many proteins found within the aragonite crystal and is thought to be the most important . Modern molecular biology techniques, such as recombinant DNA technology, have been employed in order to gain more knowledge regarding pI3. The goal is to sequence the entire protein and then perform mutagenesis experiments on the protein. The mutagenesis experiments will provide us with some knowledge about the role and importance of the three domains found in the pI3 protein.
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