QU’s Biomedical students present graduation projects
QATAR University (QU) biomedical science students have presented their graduation projects to conclude four years of undergraduate studies.
Of the 19 projects, the majority covered common human diseases and made use of several in-vivo models such as chicken embryo, DIO mice and zebrafish in addition to in-vitro models using human samples.
Three projects were dedicated to understanding the embryonic development of congenital heart disease and diabetes using chicken embryo and zebra fish models. These projects were conducted by students under supervision from Dr. Huseyin Yalcin, Assistant Professor at the Biomedical Research Center of QU and funded by Qatar University Student Project funds.
In the first project, two students, Amal Zedan and Aya Omar, induced hydroplastic left heart syndrome surgically in chicken embryo.
In the second project, Batoul Haddad and Zenab Elhashmy tested several natural compounds on chicken embryo and found that two natural compounds can lower blood glucose and hence prevent heart defect.
In the third project, Noura Aldous and Asma Essa used the zebrafish model to explore the role of sodium glucose co-transporter in cardiac function and structure.
This project was given the best undergraduate project award in the Fourth Annual QU Health Research Symposium in April 2019.
The findings of this group will also be presented in the upcoming 14th International Zebrafish Conference at Suzhou, China.
Additionally, students Rihab El fadel, Maha al Qeraiwi and Manar al Rashid conducted two projects to define the molecular profile of mRNA and miRNA of hepatic tissue in DIO mice.
Students, Banan Shoair and Asmaa al Baniali carried out a study titled “Quantifying Gut Microbiome in Rats with Adenine-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease and the Effect of Treatment with Gum Arabic”.
Furthermore, two projects were dedicated to virology. The first is a study to explore the molecular genotyping of non-polio enteroviruses amongst pediatrics in Qatar which might help enhance the diagnosis of enteroviruses in the country. This study was conducted by Nassimeh Azadi and Tayseer Fadl.
This project which was awarded in Qatar University’s Annual Research Symposium in April 2019 was funded by QU.
The second project is an epidemiological study to understand the distribution of West Nile virus in the MENA region and identify its seroprevalence among Qataris and immigrants within Qatar.
This study was conducted by Hasna Kunhipuraiyil and Muna Nizar.
Students Hadeel al Jighefee and Roba Abdin explored evaluating the safety of SAPDMA, which is widely used in cosmetics, conditioning agents and corrosion inhibition and is generally classified by different environmental and chemical agencies as a safe compound. The project showed that the exposure of zebrafish embryo to SAPDMA caused mortality in a dose dependent manner which might alert the industrial community to reevaluate its use in products.
In another study on diabetes, Farzana Suliman and Rama Bakhash conducted a pilot study using 21 blood and stool samples from pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes to uncover the microbiome and epigenome profile of this disease in Qatar.