Research Problem
Allergies are immune system disorders that everyone has come in contact with, whether personally or through the experiences of family, friends, or other people in your community. With allergies come symptoms that range from irritable to dangerous and life-threatening. While current treatments mainly focus on the management of symptoms, we believe there is merit in looking earlier in the biological response for novel treatments.
Our Solution
We are looking into mast cells: the immunological origins which signal symptom-causing molecules. Specifically, our research focuses on a small cluster of signaling molecules which trigger one another to create downstream effects such as mast cell degranulation and calcium release. This area of study relies on the potency of known and novel inhibitors to block this signal and stop the allergic response before symptoms arise. Under the guidance of our mentor Dr. Kenneth Frauwirth and in the lab of Dr. David Mosser, Team CASCADE is researching methods to inhibit small molecule signaling within the mast cell degranulation cascade.
We need your help
As an undergraduate team working within a biological lab, our Gemstone budget does not cover the complete cost of our mast cells, chemical supplies, and lab materials. This is where we need your help! Your donations through LaunchUMD not only help us continue and progress in our research, but help bolster the UMD community, the research community, and the lives of everyone suffering from allergies worldwide!
Thank you for your support. Without your generous donations, this research would not be possible. Thank you for helping us treat and prevent allergies
Any donation makes a difference to us, and we thank you in advance!
FOLLOW US:
Visit our website- https://teamcascadeumd.wixsite.com/2021
Facebook- Gemstone Team Cascade
Instagram- teamcascadeumd
Twitter- @teamcascade1
E-mail- teamcascadeumd@gmail.com
Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
This contribution helps us buy a portion of our mouse cell line, the star of the show!
This contribution helps us purchase serological pipettes and other glassware needed to contain and measure our reagents.
This contribution helps us buy a couple hours to perform flow cytometry for data analysis. If you donate this amount, you will be a featured donor on our website.
This contribution helps us us purchase a bottle of Rat T-STIM so we can culture our cells. If you donate this amount, we will make you a personalized thank-you note as well as a featured donor on our website.
This contribution helps us travel to conferences where we can present our research to a panel of experts. If you donate this amount, we will invite you to our thesis proposal!