Transcriptomic Effects of Natural Compounds on LS-180 Colon Cancer Cells in an Inflammatory Microenvironment

This research project examines the transcriptomic effects of natural compounds on LS-180 colon cancer cells within an inflammatory microenvironment.

The laboratory focuses on nuclear receptor biology and xenobiotic sensing, including the pregnane X receptor (PXR), and seeks to understand regulatory mechanisms in tissue-specific toxicology and drug metabolism. These research priorities align with transcriptomic interrogation of how natural compounds modulate gene expression in colon cancer cells exposed to inflammatory cues. The laboratory’s instrumentation and support services are well suited to this project: it includes Next Generation Sequencing capability (NextSeq 1000) for high-throughput RNA sequencing, imaging systems, luminometers, centrifuges, fluorometers, spectrophotometers, light and fluorescence microscopes, dedicated tissue culture rooms, and extensive data analysis and graphics computing resources. Such resources facilitate experimental workflows from controlled culture of LS-180 cells and induction of inflammatory conditions, through RNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing, and downstream bioinformatic analysis of differential gene expression and pathway activity.