I am Christy and I am an international student from Hong Kong. I came to Perth in 2019 to complete high school. During high school, I was introduced to different universities and majors aligned with my academic interests. Among all the available majors, genetics has particularly caught my attention. Genetics seems to be fully uncoded but more is yet to be discovered. Knowing genetics is the basis of every living organism, the growing curiosity in me has led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science, majoring in genetics. Upon completing my Bachelor’s degree, I sought to deepen my expertise and expand my knowledge, therefore, I am now pursuing a Master of Biotechnology, majoring in genetics and genomics.
Through my academic journey, I learned that there are limitations in current existing disease treatment and therefore, I hope to discover new potential for those diseases facing difficulties to find their cure. DNA origami is a new technology with high customizability and therefore, I decided to pursue research on DNA origami. ARC training centre provides a variety of projects that are available to fulfil my interest and curiosity. It also provides supervision and resources to help with my research.
My current research project uses a new, emerging nanotechnology named DNA origami. DNA origami is made using single-stranded DNA that folds into customizable shapes and then stabled using DNA oligonucleotides. It was first introduced in 2006 and became more popular over time due to its high customizability, low cytotoxicity and excellent biodegradability. Although there are growing numbers of studies on DNA origami in recent years to discover its potential use in gene delivery and drug delivery, the dynamics of DNA origami have not been fully discovered yet. Therefore, my project aims to develop a customized DNA origami scaffold with Lettuce DNA aptamer, in order to reveal the unfolding time of DNA origami in mammalian cells. This project provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics of DNA origami and has a significant impact on optimizing the current use of DNA origami in gene and drug delivery.
Some of the diseases require new effective treatment in order to be curable. DNA origami provides an alternative to patients suffering from non-curable diseases due to the unavailability of drugs or genes in the affected area. Through my research, it can contribute to the understanding of the principal dynamic of DNA origami. Moreover, it can help optimizing the current use of DNA origami in drug and gene delivery so to improve its effectiveness and hopefully, become a mainstream treatment for current uncurable diseases. ARC training centre provides a lot of opportunities and resources to support my project.
