LEE JIA QI, Life Sciences Major, Individual Category AY2017/18
Project Title: Human ESCs-derived neurons as a model to study FEZ1 expression in human brain development

Receiving this award is indeed a great honour and encouragement for me. This was the first time I undertook a research project of my own and although it had been exhausting and filled with challenges, I am thankful for the experience and also for the community of support I was blessed with. I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. John Chua for entrusting me with this project and for his invaluable guidance and support throughout my FYP. Another indispensable figure in my FYP journey was my mentor, Dr. Sumitra, who was always patient in showing me the ropes. Thank you for spurring me to be inquisitive, meticulous and persevering, which I believe are what makes a good scientist! I would also like to thank members of the JC lab for all the help and encouragement they have rendered.

Both the confocal microscopes are equipped with the following lasers: 405nm, 488nm, 543nm and 633nm. In addition the LSM510 has 458nm and 514nm laser lines.The two wide-field fluorescence microscopes are equipped with filters for blue, green, red and far red fluorescence.

The LSM modules, particularly the neurobiology classes, have definitely equipped me with the essential knowledge to embark on this project. I am also thankful for the various opportunities the Faculty of Science has provided me with to broaden my exposure and further my interests. One of which is my semester-long exchange to Duke University, where I had the great privilege to work at Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert Lefkowitz’s lab and experience firsthand how research is conducted overseas. Being able to interact with Dr. Lefkowitz and learn about the arduous journey he undergone to convince the scientific community of the existence of GPCR receptors was truly a great inspiration for a young scientist like me. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which I am utterly grateful for.
In retrospect, my undergraduate journey has been a fulfilling and enjoyable one and I would like to thank NUS for the efforts put into offering a holistic education and for validating students’ work and achievements through awards like this.

About the Project

FEZ1, a kinesin-1 adaptor, has been shown to be essential for neuronal development in animal neurons and has also been implicated in human neurological diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. Since animal neurons cannot fully recapitulate the properties of human neurons, neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells were found to be a more compelling model for investigating the functional role of FEZ1 in human neurons. My findings have validated the importance of FEZ1 in human neuronal development and paved the way for future research like knockdown studies or pull-down assays to further elucidate FEZ1 function.

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