Cancer cell metabolism is significantly influenced by microenvironmental factors such as nutrient availability, which can vary across different tissues and introduce exploitable therapeutic vulnerabilities. Our findings indicate an increased dependency in cancer cells on the folate and methionine cycles in low lipid conditions. A direct connection between these pathways is not known. So, this project aims to characterize the nature and mechanism of this dependency through a variety of experimental techniques, including proliferation assays with relevant metabolites or pharmacologic agents, measurement of altered metabolic profiles, and quantification of changes to key metabolic pathways (such as lipid synthesis) through methods like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

I am participating in SuperUROP to further develop my research experiences in the field of cancer metabolism. As an aspiring physician-scientist, I am passionate about bridging the bench with the bedside through biomedical research that has direct patient impacts. This project perfectly aligns with my goals by enabling me to explore the basic science behind fundamental biochemical pathways that are also known to have roles in cancer progression.