Nasal Polyp Populations Elucidated by Single Cell RNASeq
Nasal polyps from chronic rhinosinusitis cause complete loss of olfactory function. Little is known about the pathology of the condition or about endoscopic surgery prognosis the most common treatment option. This study will characterize the cell populations found within nasal polyps using single-cell RNA-sequencing (“RNA Seq”) in a Seq-Well protocol. The individual cells from the polyp samples will be barcoded reverse transcribed and then amplified to sequence the present mRNA and then characterized by gene expression. This protocol will utilize principal component t-SNE plots to quantitatively classify cell types to understand the population of cells present in patient groups. This will give rise to better knowledge in the field regarding pathology and prognosis of nasal polyps.

I love doing research and wanted to use this opportunity to experience the rich research culture found at MIT. I’m very excited to work in such a diverse lab that brings in people of many disciplinary backgrounds to tackle an important problem in health.