Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF) Story: Shivam Jain

Shivam was awarded the Deans' Summer Research Fellowship for summer 2025. Learn more about his time below.

Shivam is smiling in front of Duke Chapel

 

Author: Shivam Jain

What was your major research question for the DSRF project and where do you hope this project will go?

The research question was "What role does GALE have in regulation of NS flux?" We found that genetic knockout of the enzyme GALE in A549 cells leads to significant reduction in MUC5AC presence in the cell. Further, GALE expression is correlated with MUC5AC expression in control cells but loses its correlation under GALE knockout. Based on these results, we would like to test whether disulfiram, a chemical inhibitor of GALE, is able to replicate this decrease in MUC5AC expression.

What challenges did you encounter during your research and how did you work through these difficulties?

I encountered challenges in my preparation and imaging of immunoflourescence samples. I was unsure whether my images of MUC5B were real. I had to optimize my sample prep procedure to allow signal to show with minimal noise. I also had to learn best imaging practices that would reduce noise. Based on these steps, I realized that my MUC5B signal was likely just noise and not real signal.

What sparked your interest in this field?

I took the class Biochemistry 1, which sparked my interest in biochemical pathways and regulation. I joined the Boyce Lab after taking this class, hoping to see what effect regulation of nucleotide-sugar pathways had on cellular and animal physiology.

Curious about DSRF?

This project was made possible through the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)—a unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to pursue funded summer research full-time!  

Effective this 2025-2026 Academic year, we are rebranding DSRF to be the Trinity Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Fellowship (T-SUMR)! If you're pursuing graduation with distinction and are passionate about research, consider applying to T-SUMR in December of your Sophomore or Junior year.