Clarkson University Chemistry Student Devika Channaveerappa Will Present Research on Protein Biomarkers for Cancer, Autism at Conference

2015 Nov 4

Clarkson University chemistry doctoral candidate Devika Channaveerappa of Bangalore, India, will travel to the annual symposium in Somerset, N.J., to deliver oral presentations in the technical session on bioanalysis and biomarker discovery. This is her second year presenting at the Eastern Analytical Symposium and Exposition, working with Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science Costel Darie.

Channaveerappa will present her project "Proteomics Study to Identify the Protein Differences in Human Breast Milk from Cancer Patients and Controls Using Mass Spectrometry." This project is in collaboration with Professor of Environmental Toxicology Kathleen Arcaro of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research analyzes breast milk samples from women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and women who have not been diagnosed using gel electrophoresis to determine if certain proteins are indicators of breast cancer. The researchers extracted the samples from the gel and then used mass spectrometry to study the chemistry and see which proteins were overexpressed or underexpressed. Channaveerappa said dense breast tissue in young women is hard to diagnose using mammography, so a protein biomarker could help women determine their risk for breast cancer. "We are trying to figure out if any of the proteins in breast milk could be a potential biomarker to see if they will get breast cancer in the future," she said. Channaveerappa now is researching a protein called JTB, which has been found to be overexpressed in some cancers.

The Eastern Analytical Symposium and Exposition (EAS) is held each year to provide professional scientists and students continuing education in the analytical and allied sciences through the presentation of symposia of papers, workshops, and short courses. Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.