During their internship at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) last summer, biological sciences students Dana Samhadaneh and Safa Salim were part of a team that successfully crystallized a protein and obtained its preliminary structure using X-ray crystallography. This is the first time this has been done successfully in Qatar.

The project was titled “Expression, purification, and characterization of stem cell transcription factor Sox17 HMG domain and its mutant,” and led by Prasanna Kolatkar in Shafallah Medical Genetics Center. Samhadaneh and Salim were actively involved in performing the experimental procedures and analyzing results under the guidance of PhD and postdoctoral team members.

“This is a significant feat, especially for undergraduate students,” said Annette Vincent, assistant teaching professor of biological sciences at CMU-Q. “To solve a protein structure is very difficult, and besides the initial crystallization, creating well-diffracting crystals requires careful optimization.”

The project is investigating how a transcription factor and its mutant are involved in stem cell biology. Determining the protein structure can guide further studies to understand its function. This type of study can lead to potential clinical applications, particularly in the area of diabetes and neurological diseases.

Samhadaneh and Salim were two of seven CMU-Q students who interned at QBRI last summer.