Research Associate Kirstin Nosé demonstrates her work on DNA damage.
Finding solutions in the labKirstin Nosé ’06SCU Research AssociateResearch associate Kirstin Nosé is working to understand how cells repair themselves after damage occurs in their DNA. Breakages in the DNA chain occur daily, but it’s crucial for cells to fix or patch the chain. “I'm examining how some DNA polymerases are capable of adding nucleotides to blunt-ended substrates in the absence of a template strand, a process which can lead to mutations and eventually could cause cancer,” she says. A full-time researcher in Associate Professor Ángel Islas’s lab, Nosé plans to continue working in biotechnology. She credits her undergraduate research experience with setting her on this path. “I love being in the lab learning new things, solving problems, and conducting experiments. More than anything, I've always wanted to do something that made a difference or contributed in some small way to benefit humanity,” Nosé says. “I think that through biology this is possible.” Read more profiles in math and the sciences. Watch a video about research in SCU's biology labs below. |
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