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Alessandra Beelen

Alessandra Beelen

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Education: B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California-Davis, 2022

From: Hangzhou, China

Joined David Lab: June 2022

Outside of lab: I enjoy watching sports, such as F1 and basketball, and travelling!

Research in the lab: Although much of the research in the David lab focuses on MUTYH and its ability to recognize and repair OG:A mismatches, we are also curious in its role beyond identifying such lesions. MUTYH has shown to mediate cytotoxicity with various chemotherapeutics and UV light. These MUTYH-dependent sensitivities in the cell may also vary depending on the mutant variants of MUTYH. My project involves using both in vitro and cell-based assays to better understand the molecular basis behind this process.

Previous Research Experience: During my time at Davis, I worked in the Niño Lab studying honey bees. I was involved in three different projects involving a mixture of lab and field work. The main goals of these projects were to see if we could increase honey bee health and longevity to better support beekeeper’s needs or determine bee stocks that are more suitable in California’s Central Valley Mediterranean climate. I also joined the David Lab and worked with Melody on synthesizing transition state that are incorporated in oligonucleotides to serve as inhibitors of base excision repair glycosylases.

RSS Science Daily News

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    Neuroscientists have established in recent decades the idea that some of each day's experiences are converted by the brain into permanent memories during sleep the same night. Now, a new study proposes a mechanism that determines which memories are tagged as important enough to linger in the brain until sleep makes them permanent.
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    Young to middle-aged women who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week--more than one per day, on average--were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared with those who drank less, finds a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session. The risk was highest among both men and […]
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  • Long-period oscillations control the Sun's differential rotation March 27, 2024
    The interior of the Sun does not rotate at the same rate at all latitudes. The physical origin of this differential rotation is not fully understood. It turns out, long-period solar oscillations discovered in 2021 play a crucial role in controlling the Sun's rotational pattern. The long-period oscillations are analogous to the baroclinically unstable waves […]
  • Artificial reef designed by MIT engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage March 27, 2024
    Engineers designed an 'architected' reef that can mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while providing pockets for marine life. The sustainable and cost-saving structure could dissipate more than 95 percent of incoming wave energy using a small fraction of the material normally needed.

Contact:

Dr. Sheila S. David
ssdavid@ucdavis.edu
(530)-752-4280

Department of Chemistry
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616