Office of Undergraduate Research

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Emphasizing equitable and inclusive access to research opportunities, the University of Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) empowers undergraduates and faculty to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship. This collection includes materials shared by undergraduate researchers during OUR events. It also encompasses materials from Undergraduate Research Day 2020, Undergraduate Research Day 2021, and Undergraduate Research Day 2022, which were organized by the Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research.

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Author: search.filters.author.Dwomoh, Deborah

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    DNA Aptamers Against Airway Mucin Proteins for Therapeutics and Diagnostics
    (2024) Dwomoh, Deborah; Welte, Linara; Savage, Colin; McDonald, Cyan; Shpilman, Zackary; Srinath, Priyanka; Spirito, Catherine
    Mucus is a viscous bodily fluid composed of mucin proteins, inorganic salts, and water. MUC5AC and MUC5B are the two mucin proteins that makeup airway mucus. Elevated levels of MUC5AC can indicate certain diseases, like asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Current treatments for mucus-associated respiratory diseases include using enzymes and chemical agents to clear mucus buildup. These existing treatments are limited in their ability to selectively target specific mucin proteins within mucus. Our research aims to select DNA aptamers that bind to MUC5AC or MUC5B, within mucus samples. We are optimizing a One-Pot SELEX or in vitro selection methodology previously used by other researchers to select aptamers against MUC16. Selected DNA aptamers with high binding affinity and specificity can detect airway mucin proteins and deliver engineered proteases to cleave and destroy them.