Grant Proposal Assignment And Presentationpurposeobjectiveto Critic ✓ Solved

Grant Proposal assignment and presentation: Purpose/Objective: To critically evaluate an area of biotechnology and propose new experiments targeting a hypothesis. This assignment is a synthesis assignment that will be completed through research over the course of the semester. Skills: The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the following skills that are essential to your success in the biological sciences and in professional life beyond school: · analyzing primary scientific studies · integrating information from multiple sources · synthesizing and summarizing information using writing skills · applying biotechnology principles to an area of study · presenting the information to your peers Criteria: The grant proposal requirements are described below and will be further discussed in class.

All grant proposals will be submitted in Brightspace by the due date/time. The penalty for late submissions will be a 2 point deduction from the total points possible for each day the assignment is turned in late. The grant proposal presentations will be given during our class the last two weeks of the semester. Each student will be assigned randomly a number to determine the order of presentations. Grading rubrics will be posted in Brightspace.

Grant proposal (written): 50 points Students will: · Choose an area related to biological science research that incorporates biotechnology; examples of topics are listed on the next page · Research the topic and summarize the background and significance · Develop a hypothesis advancing this area of research · Identify 2 to 3 specific aims that will address studies that you would conduct to address your hypothesis. · Explain the specific aims. Written summaries must contain the following: · 1 ½ to 2 page minimum · Single spaced · font no greater than 12 point · one inch margins for all pages · Background and Significance section (see examples) with appropriate citations · Specific Aims (see examples) with brief description of biotechnology techniques utilized to address the question. · A bibliography page Grant proposal Presentation requirements: 50 points Students will: · present a 15 minute presentation of their grant proposal during our class session the last two weeks of the semester · prepare a powerpoint that contains the appropriate background and significance related to their grant proposal topic. · also include explanations of the specific aims with appropriate explanation of the biotechnology tools/techniques proposed in the grant proposal.

Presentations must contain the following: · Appropriate background studies · Identification of hypothesis for new studies · Detailed explanation of specific aims including any biotechnology tools/techniques used in the study · identify any concerns related to the study design · expected outcomes All students are expected to attend and participate in the presentations as listed in the course schedule. Failure to attend and participate in the presentations will be reflected in your grade. Specific presentation rubric will be posted in Brightspace. Example topics (This is short list! There are numerous choices for topics…): Circular RNA and cancer Crispr and therapy delivery Synthetic biology / De-extinction mRNA vaccines bioremediation fish-farming practices organoids microfluidics kidney on a chip herbicide resistance: new ones disease research microbiomes applications of new biotechnology to industry Useful examples: · You can look at funded NIH proposals here: · Here you can find examples of the Background/Significance and Specific Aims Specific Examples:

Paper for above instructions

Grant Proposal: Investigating the Role of Circular RNA in Cancer Progression
Background and Significance
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with over 19 million new cases reported in 2020 (Sung et al., 2021). The complexity of cancer biology necessitates the ongoing exploration of innovative therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in our understanding of non-coding RNAs have shed light on their potential roles in cancer development and progression, particularly circular RNAs (circRNAs). CircRNAs are a class of non-coding RNA characterized by their covalently closed loop structure, making them resistant to exonuclease degradation (Huang et al., 2020). This stability allows them to act as sponges for microRNAs and protein-binding sites, thus influencing gene expression.
Epidemiological studies have indicated an overexpression of specific circRNAs in several cancer types, suggesting their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets (Chen et al., 2020). For instance, circRNAs such as circ-ANRIL and circ-PVT1 have been implicated in the regulation of tumor growth and metastasis in breast and colorectal cancers, respectively (Zhang et al., 2020; Yu et al., 2019). Despite these findings, the underlying mechanisms by which circRNAs contribute to cancer biology are not completely understood, and there remains a gap in our knowledge regarding their functional roles in tumor microenvironments.
In this context, the proposed research aims to elucidate the role of circRNAs in cancer progression by leveraging advanced biotechnology methodologies, including RNA sequencing and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. We hypothesize that specific circRNAs modulate the tumor microenvironment by regulating signaling pathways that promote tumor growth and metastasis. This study's outcomes may provide insights that facilitate the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
Hypothesis
The primary hypothesis of this research is: “Specific circular RNAs contribute to cancer progression by modulating the tumor microenvironment and enhancing invasive signaling pathways.”
Specific Aims
Aim 1: To identify circRNA profiles associated with cancer progression using high-throughput RNA sequencing.
This aim will involve collecting tumor and adjacent normal tissues from patients diagnosed with specific cancers (e.g., breast and lung cancer). High-throughput RNA sequencing will be performed to obtain comprehensive circRNA expression profiles. Bioinformatics tools will be employed to analyze the sequencing data, aiming to identify upregulated circRNAs in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. This analysis will highlight circRNAs potentially implicated in cancer progression.
Aim 2: To elucidate the functional role of identified circRNAs in cancer cell behavior using CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
Following the identification of circRNAs associated with cancer progression, we will employ CRISPR-Cas9 technology to create circRNA knockouts in cancer cell lines. We will focus on assessing the impact of these knockouts on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. In parallel, we will conduct rescue experiments to determine whether reintroducing the deleted circRNA can restore altered cellular behaviors. This aim will establish a direct link between circRNA expression and functional outcomes in cancer biology.
Aim 3: To evaluate the influence of circRNAs on tumor microenvironment signaling pathways.
We will investigate the downstream signaling pathways influenced by the circRNAs identified in Aim 1. This will involve proteomic analysis of cancer cell lines to assess changes in protein expression levels and activity in response to circRNA knockout and reintroduction. Additionally, we will use co-culture systems to analyze how circRNA modulation in cancer cells can affect the behavior of stromal cells, using techniques such as ELISA to measure secreted factors that modulate the tumor microenvironment.
Techniques Utilized
1. RNA Sequencing: This technique will enable us to achieve comprehensive profiling of circRNA expression patterns in clinical samples, providing insights into circRNA involvement in distinct cancers (Wang et al., 2020).
2. CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing: A powerful tool for creating specific genomic alterations, allowing for tailored investigations into circRNA function and interactive effects on cellular behavior (Doudna & Charpentier, 2014).
3. Proteomic Analysis: Mass spectrometry and array-based proteomics will identify changes in signaling proteins in response to circRNA modulation, critical for understanding the mechanistic pathways involved in cancer progression (Domon & Aebersold, 2006).
4. ELISA and Co-Culture Assays: These assays will assess the effect of circRNA expression on tumor-associated cytokines and chemokines secreted by both cancer and stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (Wang et al., 2019).
Conclusion
The proposed study seeks to illuminate the complex roles of circRNAs in cancer biology, focusing on their potential to modulate the tumor microenvironment and enhance invasive signaling pathways. Through a combination of high-throughput sequencing, CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and proteomic analysis, this research aims to generate significant insights that may pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting circRNAs in cancer.
References
1. Chen, Y., Yang, F., & Li, J. (2020). Circular RNA in Cancer: A Review of the Biomarkers in Diagnosis and Treatment. Frontiers in Oncology, 10, 68.
2. Doudna, J.A., & Charpentier, E. (2014). The new frontier of genome engineering with CRISPR-Cas9. Science, 346(6213), 1258096.
3. Domon, B., & Aebersold, R. (2006). Mass Spectrometry and Protein Analysis. Science, 312(5771), 212-217.
4. Huang, C., et al. (2020). The Role of Circular RNAs in Cancer Development. Frontiers in Genetics, 11, 159.
5. Sung, H., et al. (2021). Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 71(3), 209-249.
6. Wang, K., et al. (2019). The Use of ELISA and Cytokine Assays in Translational Immunology Research. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1916, 145-154.
7. Wang, Y., et al. (2020). CircRNA Sequencing Analysis: Novel Opportunities in Cancer Biomarker Discovery. Frontiers in Genetics, 11, 700.
8. Yu, C.Y., et al. (2019). Circular RNA PVT1 Promotes Tumor Progression via Targeting P53 in Colorectal Cancer. Oncology Reports, 42(5), 2274-2284.
9. Zhang, X., et al. (2020). Circular RNA ANRIL is upregulated and promotes proliferation in lung cancer. Oncology Letters, 20(4), 1-1.
10. Zhang, Z., & Lv, Y. (2020). The Role of Circular RNAs in Cancer: The UNsolved Mystery. Cancer Letters, 471, 40-45.
This write-up provides a structured and comprehensive grant proposal focusing on the role of circular RNA in cancer, in alignment with the assignment requirements.