This blog is devoted to BIOL 6988, a graduate level seminar in the biological sciences at Youngstown State University. While targeted towards graduate students, BIOL 6988 actively incorporates undergraduate participants in their scholastic endeavors in the biological sciences. This blog is intended as a educational tool not just for YSU students and faculty, but for anyone who wishes to contribute to an active-learning environment.
Next week, Dr. Walker asks us "Got Muscle?" Join the group to hear the Muscle Master bestow upon us his insightful wisdom and, perhaps, his bizarre type of humor!
Summary: Dr. Walker’s presentation on myogenesis was not only interesting but imperative. He kicked off with evolution. It is interesting to know that our muscles have evolved both anatomically and on molecular level over a period. Dr. Walker detailed how stem cells give rise to muscle. He also mentioned that somite cells play an important role in myogenesis. In his research, Dr. Walker used C2C12 myogenic stem cells to study the expression of specific proteins relevant in sarcomerogenesis during myotube development. He highlighted some of the significant growth factors during myotube development like insulin and FGF. His research also focused on expression of transcription factors and Cdk1. What are your views/thoughts on Dr. Walker’s research on changes in morphology of muscles with aging?
Muscles are an important part of our lives. Dr. Walker's presentation on "GOT MUSCLES" was enlightening. Considering the number of times we use muscles on daily basis is so amazing.
I think that looking into the process of muscular changes throughout aging is fascinating. Understanding the mechanisms of natural muscle atrophy that comes with getting older could be an important step in investigating induced muscle atrophy. This could open doors for potential treatments of muscle diseases.
This research is setting up a base for many more experiments to follow it. We use our muscles everyday to do basic activities to keep us healthy, like brushing our teeth. This could definitely lead to helping certain muscle diseases. Also could help make aging easier.
It was interesting to hear about the evolution of our muscles, especially knowing the changes we made as humans to become bipedal. It makes me wonder why most of the animal kingdom is not bipedal. What made us one of the organisms to evolve in this way, in comparison to other animals such as dogs, horses, etc? Even certain primates like gorillas will still travel on all fours instead of bipedally, which are supposedly our closest relatives. What is the difference between us and them that drove this change?
I thought the portion on further research into slowing muscle aging/degeneration was most interesting. As scientists learn more about the role of FGF, perhaps its expression can be manipulated for medical purposes.
Understanding myogenesis is important for muscle studies. However, Dr. walker’s lab takes it one step further to ask, what happens after muscles fully develop? Knowing what happens to a muscle after confluency and full development is key moving forward to understanding muscle aging and diseases (I.E. rippling muscle disease). Knowing what happens at the molecular level can aid studies moving forward to treatment plans. These future studies/treatments something to be excited for moving forward.
When Dr. Walker concluded his presentation with the question of “can we reverse the aging process in culture?”, I feel that this would be the “holy-grail’ of cell biology. Much like finding a “grand unifying theory” or a “theory of everything” is to physics. However, if it is possible to reverse aging in cell culture, it may potentially have benefits in the development of new medical treatments as well as other areas of research. As for Dr. Walkers research, I feel like his experimental design can be very versatile in studying adult stem cells and can be used for studying not only myogenic lineage adult stem cells from muscle, but can also be applied to other multipotent stem cell lineages from other sources such as bone marrow.
Since I have class with Dr Walker for Stem cell, he discussed that his interest in muscle aging is somewhat self interested meaning he knows he is getting older, but I think his research has quite a ways to go before we can reverse muscle aging like one may hope
Summary: Dr. Walker’s presentation on myogenesis was not only interesting but imperative. He kicked off with evolution. It is interesting to know that our muscles have evolved both anatomically and on molecular level over a period. Dr. Walker detailed how stem cells give rise to muscle. He also mentioned that somite cells play an important role in myogenesis.
ReplyDeleteIn his research, Dr. Walker used C2C12 myogenic stem cells to study the expression of specific proteins relevant in sarcomerogenesis during myotube development. He highlighted some of the significant growth factors during myotube development like insulin and FGF. His research also focused on expression of transcription factors and Cdk1.
What are your views/thoughts on Dr. Walker’s research on changes in morphology of muscles with aging?
Muscles are an important part of our lives. Dr. Walker's presentation on "GOT MUSCLES" was enlightening. Considering the number of times we use muscles on daily basis is so amazing.
ReplyDeleteI think that looking into the process of muscular changes throughout aging is fascinating. Understanding the mechanisms of natural muscle atrophy that comes with getting older could be an important step in investigating induced muscle atrophy. This could open doors for potential treatments of muscle diseases.
ReplyDeleteThis research is setting up a base for many more experiments to follow it. We use our muscles everyday to do basic activities to keep us healthy, like brushing our teeth. This could definitely lead to helping certain muscle diseases. Also could help make aging easier.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to hear about the evolution of our muscles, especially knowing the changes we made as humans to become bipedal. It makes me wonder why most of the animal kingdom is not bipedal. What made us one of the organisms to evolve in this way, in comparison to other animals such as dogs, horses, etc? Even certain primates like gorillas will still travel on all fours instead of bipedally, which are supposedly our closest relatives. What is the difference between us and them that drove this change?
ReplyDeleteI thought the portion on further research into slowing muscle aging/degeneration was most interesting. As scientists learn more about the role of FGF, perhaps its expression can be manipulated for medical purposes.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding myogenesis is important for muscle studies. However, Dr. walker’s lab takes it one step further to ask, what happens after muscles fully develop? Knowing what happens to a muscle after confluency and full development is key moving forward to understanding muscle aging and diseases (I.E. rippling muscle disease). Knowing what happens at the molecular level can aid studies moving forward to treatment plans. These future studies/treatments something to be excited for moving forward.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dr. Walker concluded his presentation with the question of “can we reverse the aging process in culture?”, I feel that this would be the “holy-grail’ of cell biology. Much like finding a “grand unifying theory” or a “theory of everything” is to physics. However, if it is possible to reverse aging in cell culture, it may potentially have benefits in the development of new medical treatments as well as other areas of research. As for Dr. Walkers research, I feel like his experimental design can be very versatile in studying adult stem cells and can be used for studying not only myogenic lineage adult stem cells from muscle, but can also be applied to other multipotent stem cell lineages from other sources such as bone marrow.
ReplyDeleteSince I have class with Dr Walker for Stem cell, he discussed that his interest in muscle aging is somewhat self interested meaning he knows he is getting older, but I think his research has quite a ways to go before we can reverse muscle aging like one may hope
ReplyDelete