Hello everyone! My name is Anuj Peri, and I am a freshman here at the University of Pittsburgh and the Frederick Honors College. I am pursuing a double major in molecular biology & sociology, a minor in chemistry, and a certificate in conceptual foundations of medicine. A fun fact about me is that I am vocally trained in Indian and Western classical music and have been recognized at the national level in choral music.
Throughout my undergraduate career, I wish to explore the realm of life at the molecular level and analyze different interactions that can help us identify the meaning of why certain mechanisms and processes exist in the thousands of cells in our body. I primarily was interested in applying to the CURF so that I could work with a mentor to help answer some of these questions I had. In the long term, I wish to attend medical school and become a nephrologist.
My CURF project will consist of 3D modeling of two proteins to study molecular interactions involved in macromolecular structures: keratin, a structural protein, and fibronectin, a protein involved in cellular communication. To accomplish this goal, I am collaborating with Dr. Zuzana Swigonova in the Department of Biological Sciences to investigate the close interconnection between protein structure and function.
When talking about the building blocks of our body, proteins must be in the discussion. Proteins are responsible for not only the structural integrity of our cells but also the effective transport of materials and key contributors to various metabolic pathways. This fact about proteins makes this current research relevant, exciting, and innovating.
I will be using a software called UCSF Chimera, a program that allows us to visualize crystallographic data depicting the scientifically accurate protein structures and eventually print them. The software will allow me to specifically highlight meaningful interactions in the protein structure and amplify them to help us understand more insight into why they are so impactful in our body.
Ultimately, the goal of my work with this project is to help others who are less familiar with this content understand the underlying concept. As such, with the models I will print, I will also create mini infographics that highlight supplementary information to allow audiences to connect the dots together. Since the study of the molecular components of life is becoming an increasingly interesting topic of research, there is simultaneously still so much unknown about life at this level. My CURF project aims to provide clarity and meaning to this innovative field, and I cannot wait to share my work with you all very soon.
