School: Spring Street School
City: Friday Harbor, WA
Grades taught: 6-12

Principle Investigator: Nephi Stella, Ph.D.
Department: Pharmacology
Institution: University of Washington

Project Description
The Stella Lab is currently studying the molecular mechanisms that control the amplitude of neuroinflammatory responses in different diseases such as multiple sclerosis and brain tumors. Specifically they are interested in determining the signaling molecules produced by microglia and astrocytes that lead to either exacerbated or inhibited neuroinflammatory responses. The goal is to identify therapies that could keep these responses in check and reduce the cell damage that uncontrolled neuroinflammatory responses induce.

With my project, the Stella Lab is interested in exactly how cannabinoids affect astrocytoma cell lines (DIA and D30) in vitro. The two types of medium, DMEM and DMEM + 1% FBS, will allow two different cell growth environments. I am testing three different cannabinoid treatments: 1) Hu 210: synthetic cannabinoid agonist at CB1 and CB; 2) CBN: Plant derived cannabinoid agonist at CB2; and  3) abn-CBD: Synthetic cannabinoid agonist at CB3. Treatments binding to the receptors may cause apoptosis or necrosis of cells. The WST-1 cell metabolism assay will show if any of the treatments are effective in causing cell death.

Although it will be hard to take anything directly from the lab back to the classroom, I plan to use many things I have learned this summer in my teaching. We will hold weekly journal club meetings, use scientific journals, and hopefully instill in students the desire to discover, rather than get the right answer. For myself, I also hope to take back the experience of a student, being frustrated, and being excited to learn and get results.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the members of the Stella Lab for sharing their space with me. I would especially like to thank Cong Xu and Dr. Nephi Stella for showing me patience and technique.