FURI | Fall 2018

Comparing Protocols for Extracting, Amplifying, and Imaging ApoE ε4 Allele: Preliminary work for understanding Alzheimer’s Disease in asymptomatic individuals

This project aims to determine a consistent protocol used to effectively image the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele which is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The research team will use methods to extract DNA from saliva samples, amplify the DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and image the results using gel electrophoresis. Extensive literature review will be used to optimize these techniques. Future studies will use these methods of characterizing the ApoE ε4 allele as preliminary work toward the goal of integrating this protocol into ongoing research in aging within the laboratory.