Meet Chufan Cai Undergrad Intern

07-07-2017

I am Chufan Cai from China, and I am a senior in biology now! Neutrophils are a type of white blood cells, whose over amplified inflammation may spiral out of control and lead to unwanted tissue damage and cytokine production. As a result, we need to find out the microRNAs that regulate acute neutrophilic inflammation.

Our lab has already demonstrated that miR-19, miR-99, and miR-199 over-expression in neutrophils reduced neutrophil cell motility and chemotaxis in zebrafish (our model organism). Based on these achievements,  during this summer, we will determine whether this motility phenotype persists in a human neutrophil setting.

I really appreciate the opportunity of this Research internship.  First, it provides me a financial support (at least a cup of coffee a day, hh), so that I can focus on the whole research progress instead of having to look for another paid job. A cup of coffee plus the warm wind, plus the sunset after a whole day’s research, perfect.

Second, this internship gives me a chance to try more the “cell thing”. Due to the limited lab time I had in the past, I used to focus on miRNA and construct development, which is more about the molecular biology. Moreover, I will be more familiar to the experimental design and conduction process after this summer’s lab experience.