The innovation engine for new materials

Nathan Inouye

Nathan Inouye

School: 

Adolfo Camarillo High School

Grade Level: 

High School

Teaching Position: 

Biology

Supervisor: 

Cyrus Safinya

Department: 

Material Research Lab

Mentor: 

Joanna Deek

Research Project Year: 

2009

Research Project Title: 

Bovine Neurofilament Interactions

Research Project Description: 

Graduate student Joanna Deek is studying the interactions between the intermediate filaments called neurofilaments, which are found mainly in the cytoskeleton of the neuronal cell axons. Joanna Deek uses neurofilaments found in the spinal cord of cows. There are three types of neurofilament subunits, low, medium and high, which we separate out by using anion exchange chromatography. Neurofilament subunits are reassembled into desired ratios and under specific buffer conditions to form neurofilaments. In order to study the attractive or repulsive nature of neurofilaments, we treat the reassembled neurofilaments with different concentrations of salts such as potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. After treating different samples of neurofilaments, we use light microscopy and small angle x-ray scattering to analyze how the neurofilaments respond to the different amounts of salt concentrations in differing neurofilament subunit ratios. My role was to assist Joanna Deek in preparing the neurofilament samples for analysis, which included the extraction of neurofilaments from the spinal cord of cows, treating the neurofilament samples with the different salt concentrations, and collecting data using light and electron microscopy.

Research Project Attachments: 

Curriculum Project Year: 

2010

Curriculum Project Title: 

Not Watering Down the Curriculum for ELL Students

Curriculum Project Description: 

Our classrooms are rich with diverse students. Differentiating instruction is an important pedagogy to meet the needs of our students especially for those students who are English language learners (ELL). My curriculum project includes specific resources and general templates for teaching ELL students academic language, writing, creativity to express understanding, and scientific inquiry.

 

Curriculum Project Attachments: 

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