Seniors Take Thesis Research to the Lab

While some seniors are still struggling over how to begin researching their theses, one of their peers has been working on hers for the majority of her college career.

Anna Greka '98, a neurobiology concentrator, came to Harvard from Greece with the specific goal in mind of taking "advantage of the research opportunities available here."

Greka began her thesis research in the summer following her sophomore year and has been working on it since.

Like many other senior science concentrators, Greka currently spends about 20 to 25 hours a week in lab doing research for her thesis.

But in many departments, such as physics and chemistry, a large proportion of students are doing lab work without the intention of writing a thesis.

With three quarters of all chemistry concentrators actively pursuing lab work, research is a high priority in the chemistry department, says James E. Davis, Head Tutor for the chemistry department.

And even though only "a small handful" of concentrators do theses, Davis says that students publish their findings in other forms.

"We have lots of students doing research, lots [of students] publishing papers," Davis says.

According to Davis, the chemistry department wants students to have the experience of working in a lab and not be pressured by the time constraints posed by writing a thesis.

But in the physics department, students pressured officials to allow them to write honors theses based on laboratory research, says physics department Head Tutor Margaret E. Law. According to Law, the policy was recently changed and now about three out of 50 physics concentrators submit theses each year.

In the biology department, however, almost one-third of the seniors opt to write theses, says Head Tutor William M. Gelbart.

While a thesis is not mandatory, Gelbart, who is also professor of molecular and cellular biology, says that about 45 to 50 of the department's approximate 150 senior concentrators write theses each year.

"We encourage it if people are interested in it," he says. "[But] we think that it's not for everyone so we provide other completely legitimate alternatives. I think the one case where arguably it's encouraged is that you can not get a summa recommendation from the department without having done an honors thesis."

Gelbart says that while the department does allow its students to do a "library thesis," seniors rarely choose to do it because "it's actually much harder than a research thesis." Gelbart adds that "about exactly zero" students opted to do a library thesis last year.

"In a research thesis you really develop the project together with your mentor, but you're expected to execute it and really elaborate on the plans," he says.

On the Road to Research

For students who are interested in going into research, Davis says that doing undergraduate research is a good place to start.

Greka, who hopes to obtain an MD-Ph.D., says that she has enjoyed the research she has done for her thesis.

"It has been a very good experience for me," Greka says.

Greka is finishing work in a vision research laboratory at Boston Children's Hospital on her project: "Molecular Cloning and Characterization of GABAc Receptors in Mouse Retina."

GABA, which binds to the GABAc receptor, is a major inhibitory substance in the brain. If GABA is impaired, the result is an over excitation of retinal cells, which could result in glaucoma.

Greka's work involved the cloning of GABAc in mouse retinal cells.

The mouse model represents a major advantage for scientists which will allow them to undertake genetic manipulation and behavioral studies. By studying GABA receptors in mouse models, Greka says "we will be able to see actual impairments" in a living system.

Abhinav Seth '98, who is also applying to MD-Ph.D. programs, is broadening his research skills by studying how insulin can be affected by the levels a drug that alters the proteins that control insulin expression.

Seth, who is also concentrating in the biochemical sciences, is conducting research to develop a method to control specific gene therapies.

"We're just trying to make two proteins now," he said.

The 20 to 30 hours a week Seth spends in the lab are mostly behind computers or working with cells.

Working in the lab with about 30 other students, Seth says that sometimes computers and cells do not provide enough entertainment.

"One guy brought a pinata into the lab once," Seth says.

Eyes Toward Medical School

However, not all seniors who are doing research this semester for a thesis are planning to go into research.

Van L. Cheng '98 is currently applying to medical school.

Cheng, who is studying a specific enzyme, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, says the enzyme is being studied nationwide.

"It's a sexy enzyme. Everyone is working on it in labs across the country," she says.

The protein, which Cheng calls "eNOS" for short, has an enzyme which plays an important role in constricting and dilating blood vessels.

Cheng says she started her research last January when a lab in California sent her some DNA for study. She says that most of her time in the lab is spent working with tissue cultures and proteins.

"I don't do microscope work, thank God," she says.

But Cheng says the work she does do in lab keeps her there for 25 to 30 hours and makes it hard to drag herself away.

"One thing leads to another and I just can't leave," she says.

And Felix E. Diehn '98, a biochem concentrator who is also applying to medical school, says he is doing hands-on research. The 20 to 25 hours he spends a week in the lab are spent "all at the bench."

Diehn's research which involves RNA-ribonucleic acid-capping, was recently published in Cell, a biochemical journal.

Diehn is studying the proteins to see what amino acids are important in order to eventually determine the differences in RNA capping in humans and other species.

Diehn is part of a team of mostly graduate students. "[The graduate students] all look up to me," he quips.