Achievement

IGERT-LifeChips fellows Laura Innes, Ashley Fong, and Nora Jameson are working to design a device that will use nanopores to detect specific strands of DNA. Laura is Physics student, Ashley is a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry student, and Nora is a Chemistry student. The three trainees had the opportunity to meet and discuss their varied interests and backgrounds at the 2012 IGERT LifeChips Symposium Poster Session. Laura and Ashley had already begun collaborating on an interesting proposal linking nanotechnology to analyzing gene expression electronically. Nora felt that her chemistry background and Chemist perspective could be used to both figuratively and literally “connect the dots.” The three have shared papers and ideas and although it’s still in its planning phase, they are excited about this budding project. The LifeChips program connected these trainees and gave them a chance to cross subject boundaries to begin working on this innovative idea.