Tara Young
Major: Biochemistry, Minor in Bioethics
Mentor: Dr. Monica Guo, Department of Microbiology
Contact: taramyou@uw.edu
Current research project: A DNA Binding Protein Recruits Type II Topoisomerases by Direct Interaction to Promote DNA Replication
Tara Young is a Junior Interdisciplinary Honors student majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Bioethics at University of Washington. She is excited about investigating the Biochemistry of cellular mechanisms and is currently interrogating the recruitment of topoisomerases, essential DNA replication proteins. Her research is based at the Guo Lab of Microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In her free time, Tara enjoys painting, spending time in nature, and baking!
Translate your work so that we can all understand its importance
For all living organisms to survive, they must be able to replicate their DNA quickly and smoothly. However, DNA replication must proceed in the complicated context of winding and compaction used to fit all of an organism’s DNA inside a cell. One key event in replication is unwinding this compacted DNA and resolving knots that can occur. You can think of our DNA as earbuds that get tangled in your pocket: if you were to pull on each earbud, you would push a knot further down and get stuck unable to separate them. Like our earbuds, pulling apart DNA induces strands to wrap around themselves, forming knots called “supercoils”. However, our cells have molecular scissors that help to cut these supercoils and make DNA easy to separate for replication, called topoisomerases. I study how topoisomerases find the supercoils that they need to relax for replication to proceed smoothly. This is a promising area of research because quickly replicating cells, like bacteria and cancer, can be effectively treated with topoisomerase inhibitors. By revealing how these essential enzymes work on a molecular level, my research may inform the development of more precise inhibitors to treat disease.
When, how, and why did you get involved in undergraduate research?
In my senior year of high school, I had an interest in research and wanted to learn what I could do to become involved. Through attending an Undergraduate Research Program information session held by an Undergraduate Research Leader, I learned tips to use when reaching out to professors, such as reading their published works and developing questions to ask in interviews. I relied on these to gain my role as a research assistant at the Guo Lab of Microbiology shortly after graduating from high school in July of 2021. I have been researching in the Guo lab ever since where I get to direct my own research on the question that intrigued me most when reading the manuscript of my mentor before interviewing!
What advice would you give a student who is considering getting involved in undergraduate research?
I would advise interested students to pursue experiences based on what they think they would enjoy and gain the most from participating in. While joining research can be a daunting process where you might be unfamiliar with terminology, procedures, and certain background information, remember that research mentors understand the transition to research can be hard at first and will be there to help you in the process! I think the most important part is enthusiasm for what you’re doing and a commitment to learning and growing: that’s what will transform your research experience. The URP is here to provide help and advice when starting out (or continuing) your undergraduate research journey, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help!