Research Project

This summer I am working in the Department of Anesthesiology at Stanford University. The main aim of my assigned project is to study the role of TRPV-1 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-1) in myocardial reperfusion injury. TRPV-1 is considered as a main channel that mediates cellular responses to different stimuli such as pain and heat. Regulation of TRPV-1 is important because it controls mitochondrial membrane potential and reperfusion injury. Modulation of TRPV-1 interaction site with calcineurin is essential to reduce the injury. My main objective for the summer is to study the effect of previously synthesized peptide drugs on the interaction of TRPV-1 with calcineurin. We hope that this project will help to reduce damage from cardiac reperfusion injury since it is responsible for up to 50% of myocardial infarct size.

Realities of Research

Stanford was my dream and I spent this summer in this dream. As I had an inadequate knowledge in the real physiological lab before, I was lucky to have an opportunity to experience many new techniques and skills. The most captivating experience was rats. Unfortunately, my home university does not have animal resources and students are deprived of working with animals. Hence I am planning to pursue PhD next year, I was very anxious about my incompetence and inadequacy. Luckily, my assigned project for the summer required me to isolate fresh cardiomyocytes from adult rats and perform different cell death assays on them. I was very excited about upcoming surgeries but forgot about one significant nuance- rats itself. Rats were afraid of me, so do I. Ironically, my fear made them even more stressful, so eventually I ended up with zero cells. I repeated surgeries dozens of time forcing myself to be braver and bolder. After continuous failure, I got used to them and I am obtaining enough cells these days to continue further. Now, I understand that any skill can be acquired with determination and perseverance unless it is highly desired.

Life of a Scientist

People do the science for many reasons. For some, it gives a prestige and high social status, but for some, it gives a hope for the better future. When I first told my family a decision of becoming a scientist and pursuing an academia, I was warmly welcomed with benevolent joy about my safe future. For sure, being a scientist seems to be the most auspicious occupation for women hence it requires neither intense physical nor intellectual activity. That was when my first fairytale illusions about the science career have started. Years later, after experiencing both flukes and failures I understood that life of a scientist indeed requires something very special- struggle with Yourself.

Coming to the lab every day and continuously repeating the same routine experiments over and over again can frustrate even the nerds. But for me, this is a real beauty of the science. When the experiments don’t work for weeks and the moment when you start quitting, surprisingly everything begins to work by lucky chance. You get happy and renew the cycle from the very beginning without even a tiny memory of those hapless days. Ironically, the cycle goes on further and combo of successful/unsuccessful experiments continue to form a chain reaction in your life. I agree with Mare Curie that “A scientist in the laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale”. If you still believe in miracles and get amazed by the natural laws, follow your passion and just chase the science!

Reference

Hurt, C.M., Lu, Y., Stary, C.M., Piplani, H., Small, B.A., Urban, T.J., Qvit, N., Gross, G.J., Mochly-Rosen,D.,  Gross, E.R. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Regulates Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Myocardial Reperfusion Injury. J Am Heart Assoc 5(9), 2016.

Zhuldyz Zhanzak is a senior majoring in Molecular Biology at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. She is a 2018 Undergraduate Research Excellence Fellowship (UGREF) Fellow working in Dr. Eric Gross lab at Stanford University School of Medicine, CA. Zhuldyz’s fellowship is funded by the APS. Following the graduation, Zhuldyz plans to pursue PhD in immunology and follow a career as a scientist in the academia.