Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Many common cancers, including breast cancer and lymphomas, result from an accumulation of genetic changes that build over time. In fact, it is common to find hundreds to thousands of mutations occurring in a cancer cell during an individual's life. An enzyme, named Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), is the most dangerous and powerful enzyme found in humans that can cause single or multiple mutations to many different genes within a cell. Unfortunately, how and why AID targets specific genes is still unknown. The goal of my Master's research at Memorial University of Newfoundland is to examine the biochemical properties of AID in the hope of discovering how it works and why it pursues specific gene targets. Once I identify these characteristics, I will evaluate their role in causing the genetic lesions that lead to cancer. This information will contribute to our knowledge about the role of AID in the development of cancer, and how we might prevent this disease. My research will examine a variety of forms of AID, some from humans as well as other species. Some of these versions of AID are expected to be better at interacting with gene targets and other proteins. A variety of techniques will be used to analyze the various biochemical properties of these altered forms of AID. It is my aspiration that my investigations of the properties of AID at the molecular level will contribute to the development of strategies that will inhibit or stop the genome-wide mutating activities of AID that we know either immediately, or over-time, lead to cancer.