Name: Colin Deniston
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Lab: Genomics Institute of the Novartis Foundation
Lab Website: https://www.gnf.org/
Hobbies: Video Games, Japanese Manga, and Hiking
What do you study? I currently work on helping to design drugs using 3D structures of proteins obtained through a technique called cryo-electron microscopy. I assist in designing drugs for a variety of diseases from cancer to heart issues to neurological disorders. In the past, I’ve studied a wide variety of subjects including Parkinson’s disease, plastics, genetic circuits, and infectious diseases.
Why is it important? The design of novel drugs is crucial to address some of the greatest threats to human health existing in the world currently. Various cancers, neurological disorders, and infections all over the world continue to harm people and evade previous medical efforts. For this reason, greater understanding and new methods need to be obtained through research and study to combat these diseases and improve global health.
How did you become interested in science? I first fell in love with science when I learned about how non-living chemicals make up the whole of biological life. This teamwork of chemical reactions underlying all of life’s functions inspired me to study science as a child and continues to inspire me today.
What do you like about being a scientist? Being a scientist today means much more than the typical image of someone who only reads books and writes things down. A scientist in modern times is an engineer and creator as much as they are a researcher. This lets me not just study what causes cancer but enables me to create the cure. I love being a scientist because I get to both better understand as well as shape the world around me to improve people’s lives.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
Protein, gene, DNA, cell, microscope
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
Drug design, electron microscopy, x-ray crystallography, protein purification, cloning