October 23, 2015
Histological and Molecular Analysis of the Cardiovascular Conduction System
Your heart is the center of your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to survive, and your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to every organ in your body, every minute, of every day. The pumping of the heart relies on the electrical system that controls the contractions. There are many proteins that make up the heart but most important are the connections between the heart cells that form the electrical system. Each of these proteins is a part of intercalated disks, structures that connect cardiomyocytes, and are involved in cell communication, adhesion and contraction. My goal this summer was aimed at understanding the role of one such protein called zona occludens protein 1 (ZO-1) in cardiac function and development. In order to solve a scientific question you need to look at all of its facets. To that end I used a variety of molecular techniques including different types of histological staining and Western blots.
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