Abigail Heroth Conducts Valuable Summer Research at Assumption College

2014 Sep 3

This summer, Abigail Heroth, a member of the class of 2015, was one of 11 Assumption College students who collaborated with faculty on innovative scientific research over the summer break. Through this experience, the students discovered how they can apply their scientific skills to make a difference in society--and take their place as the next generation of scholars and scientists.

Abigail, a biotechnology and molecular biology major, worked with Biology Professor McCready on the project “The Transcriptional Regulation of crabp1.” Crabp1 is a protein that promotes breast cancer diagnosed after pregnancy. Heroth explored one way in which the amount of crabp1 protein increases in cells isolated from a mouse’s mammary gland. She treated cells with thyroid hormone and measured how much crabp1 was present in the cells. Her data indicate that thyroid hormone may be one way to increase crabp1 in the mammary gland. Heroth will continue her research project with Professor McCready during the 2014-2015 academic year