So apparently FISHing is super expensive, so I will not be doing it this semester. So with a heavy heart I will have to choose another project. I have always been curious about the beta amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brains of individuals affected with Alzheimer's Disease. These plaques are actually a sequence of 55 amino acids that most every person produces. The ability to excrete these proteins through urine reduces the probability of one being affected by this disease. When a person's body does not excrete the beta amyloid proteins they start to build up, like plaque on teeth. The once happy neurons frolicking happily in the brain are now plagued by these protein formations that prevent communication between one another. It takes many years for these formations to effect cognition which is why Alzheimer disease is usually reserved for the elderly population. I would like to see if I can isolate protein from blood in order to eventually acquire an antibody that I might study. If this project is successful, I would like to try to isolate beta amyloid protein from human blood. I wonder if I could start this process with blood from another organism?
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