Michael DiSiena ’06 (right) majored in biology and will continue his research as a Beckman Scholar in Stellwagen’s laboratory this summer, then pursue a master’s in biology at Boston College in the fall, when he will apply to medical school.
“The Roles of Tel1 and Mec1 in the Opening and Closing of Telomeres”
Anne Stellwagen, assistant professor, biology department
“Mike’s research focused on telomerase, the enzyme that synthesizes the DNA at the ends of our chromosomes. Cells that are rapidly dividing, such as human stem cells, contain active telomerase, but as our cells develop into specific tissues and organs, they usually turn telomerase off. However, cancer cells almost always turn telomerase back on, as part of their strategy for uncontrolled growth. Mike investigated how two regulatory proteins affect telomerase activity in a model organism, the budding yeast. By learning how yeast naturally turn telomerase off and on, Mike’s work will give cancer biologists new ideas about therapeutic ways to turn this enzyme off in cancer patients.”