Achievement

Originally published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Samantha Nicholls’ paper entitled “Mechanism of Genetically Encoded Dark-to-Bright Reporter for Caspase Activity” was highlighted in Findings, an NIH magazine. In collaboration with Hardy and Tremblay (ICE IGERT faculty) and Abbruzzese (ICE IGERT associate, MCB), this chemistry ICE IGERT trainee is studying apoptosis to help scientists track the molecular events that cause both normal and diseased cells to die. This team of researchers has developed an apoptosis “reporter” that tracks the actions of caspases, molecular scissors that cut key proteins to kill cells. The group used green florescent protein and attached a small protein tail to keep it dark. When caspases are active, they chop the tail off and give scientists a glowing green view of cell death.