Molecular Biology (MSc/PhD)

Nina Lenarsic

EDUCATION

College / University

University of Aberdeen

Highest Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Subjects

Molecular biology, biochemistry, cancer biology
64276-1 Lenarsic

Country

Slovenia

Lab Experience

Molecular Techniques and Nucleic Acid Analysis: CLIP (cross-linking immunoprecipitation) protocol, Ribosome profiling, RNA and protein isolation and purification, Gel electrophoresis and SDS PAGE, Western Blots, RT-qPCR, Cloning, Bacterial transformation, Single-worm and whole-plate PCR of Caenorhabditis elegans
Cell Biology and Cell Manipulation: Neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, CRISPR knock-out procedure on cancer cell lines, Lipofection and electroporation of adherent and suspension cells
Microscopy and Imaging: Immunofluorescence microscopy, ImageJ analysis
Functional Analysis and Data Interpretation: Flow cytometry, Gene ontology analysis of RNA seq and proteomics data sets

Projects / Research

  • 09/2022 – 08/2023: Study the effect of CRISPR deletion of key glycosylation enzymes on Siglec-15 expression in cancer cell lines, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, UK
  • 06/2022 – 08/2022: Study the effect of Staufen protein loss on neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into cortical neurons; Development of an in-house single-tube Ribosome profiling protocol using TSO (template switching oligonucleotides), Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
  • 06/2022: Testing the functionality and cytotoxicity of a pore-forming toxin Cytolysin A on mouse melanoma B16F10 cells, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 01/2022 – 04/2022: Genotypic characterization of mutant Caenorhabditis elegans strains, Institute of Medical Sciences, Aberdeen, UK
  • 05/2021 – 09/2021: Study of protein-RNA and RNA-RNA interactions with CLIP technology in various cell lines, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 03/2021 – 05/2021: Gene ontology analysis of RNA seq and Proteomics data of Burkholderia Cenocepacia and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa exposed to differential drug conditions, NovaBiotics Ltd, Aberdeen, UK

Scholarships / Awards

2023 – 2024: Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School
2020 – 2023: Ad Futura Scholarship

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

With a strong foundation in Molecular Biology, my research interests revolve around the regulation of gene expression and signaling pathways, with a focus on cancer, stem cells, and regenerative medicine. For my bachelors thesis I explored the role of glycosylation enzymes, their products, and glycosylation receptors, such as Siglecs, within the context of cancer. I would like to further study how these lectins might regulate gene expression. Additionally, I would like to explore the challenging field of cancer stem cells. My goal is to unravel the complexities of glycosylation pathways and the biology of cancer stem cells, contributing to a deeper understanding of cancer biology and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Through this research, I aim to make meaningful contributions to the field of molecular biology, helping to identify potential therapeutic targets to improve our lives.