Medical EnglishLecture 2: English Communication in a LaboratoryZhang Ning Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences Tianjin Medical University nzhangchinayahoo.comImprove Your Spoken English Everyday English only uses about 2000 words, youdont need to remember a dictionary to speak English Watch news in English everyday Watch a TV series, such as Friends Try to talk to your mentor in English Try to discuss science in English with your colleagues Improve Your English Writing The difference between writing in English and in Chinese Writing in English is Easy: make it simple and clear Make your idea clear, topic sentences, one point in one paragraph, Expand and support your argument, a few frequently used words: suggest, indicate, show, demonstrate, required, sufficient, essential, contribute to. Summary and Speculations, taken together, in sum, Revise, Revise, and ReviseRecommended Readings for English in General Barack Obama Dreams of My Father Winston Churchill My Early Life Bertrand Russell Autobiography of Bertrand RussellAcquire Basic Knowledge Go to seminars Participate a journal club Read Reviews Read papers, read a lot of papers Who did what at where, and how? Generate your own ideasReading a PaperWho did What at WhereReading a PaperRead Abstract FirstRead a PaperFollowed by Figures and ResultsReading a PaperThen, DiscussionParticipate a Journal Club Presentation, in ppt format, one paper/talk, background, results in details, other related works Listen to a journal club, critical thinking, ask questionsScientific Ideas The difference between science and technology Find question and develop your own hypothesis The hypothesis driven research versus fishing expedition The hypothesis need to be novel and testableCase StudyWhat has been knownMetastasis, the major cause of morbidity and mortality in many cancers, . is mediated by chemotaxis, the directional movement of a cell following an extracellular chemical gradient. Mechanistic studies have shown that chemotaxis of cancer cells is mediated by both G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK). Previous reports suggest that these two types of chemotactic receptors share common downstream signaling components. My long-term goal is to identify these shared components and examine whether these molecules can be used as targets of novel therapies to inhibit cancer cell metastasis. The protein, phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), a tumor suppressor, regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by hydrolyzing a critical secondary messenger, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5- trisphosphate (PIP3). Propose a HypothesisPTEN plays a non-redundant role in both CXCR4 and EGF receptor-mediated chemotaxis and metastasis. Test the HypothesisTest the hypothesis that depletion of PTEN inhibits CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis. We will examine the effects of PTEN depletion on CXCL12-induced chemotaxis, cell adhesion, chemokinesis, and activation of downstream signaling components. We also plan to test more human breast cancer cells to evaluate the role of PTEN in chemotaxisTest the hypothesis that depletion of PTEN elevates basal activities of downstream signaling molecules and renders cells unresponsive to EGF stimulation, resulting in impairments in chemotaxis. We will examine the activities of signaling molecules downstream of PTEN in the absence or presence of EGF, the spatial distribution of these signaling molecules, and the effects of PTEN depletion on EGF-induced chemokinesis. Test the hypothesis that PTEN plays a non-redundant role in metastasis of human breast cancer cells We will use a tail vein injection model to evaluate extravasation capacity of PTEN depleted human cancer cells by immunohistochemical staining of GFP on mouse lung slices and RT-PCR detecting human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) in SCID mouse lung lysatesTalk to Your Mentor Make an appointment Organize your thoughts Plot the data and bring with you the raw data Draw your own conclusion firstA Good ExampleChemotaxis after Akt2 rescue in C97 (0.03ug and 0.09ug plasmid for 60 mm dish)ScrC97C97 rescue 0.03ugC97 rescue 0.09ug0246810120110100EGF(ng/ml)Chemotaxis indexAlthough the expression of Akt2 was rescued, the chemotaxis didnt improve much. This experiment need to be repeated.A Bad ExampleMDA Control 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 MDA Control 7 8 9 10 11 13 14MDA control control 13 13 15 15 17 17MDA control 1 4 5 MDA control 1 4 5Start a Project Dont treat yourself as a technician! Think thoroughly about the project before start it (more than 70% of projects are doom to fail). Plan a strategy Keep up with literatures and always think about the projects. Design each experiment carefully, positive contro