Celebrating South Africa’s Youth month, ICGEB Cape Town was delighted to welcome students from the New York University, Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) who are doing internships at the South African Component.
From June to August 2024, three undergraduate students from NYUAD are spending their summers with mentors in their scientific fields at the ICGEB Cape Town laboratories.
From July, students are also joining the Italy and Indian Components of the ICGEB.
In 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding between ICGEB and NYUAD came into force, with the ICGEB already hosting several interns as part of the internship programme, whose aim is to allow students enrolled in molecular biology and biochemistry courses at NYUAD access to state-of-the-art ICGEB research labs. The students select their research areas of interest and apply to the lab of their choice for an internship position, where they are actively involved in the lab’s research activity for up to 2 months. In addition to learning useful laboratory techniques first-hand, the students have the chance to experience the everyday workings of a vibrant laboratory, which in turn helps them make informed career decisions about their desire to work in science and research.
In Cape Town, we welcome Aalia Imran, Sanshika Garg and Sadaf Habib, and present their testimonials below:
Aalia Imran, originally from India, but has been living in the UAE for most of her life. She is in her second year at NYUAD, studying Computer Engineering.
Hosted in the Bioinformatics Unit with Dr Stefano Cacciatore, she is working on an Image Segmentation project of spatial transcriptomics images. Together with the team, they are working to create a pipeline for this using python deep learning models.
“I am enthusiastic about this opportunity as it allows me to combine my experience in engineering with my passion for biology, while living in the beautiful city of Cape Town. I hope to get extensive exposure from this experience and look forward to collaborating with the ICGEB team.” Aalia Imran
From India, Sanshika Garg, is a third-year student at NYUAD pursuing a biology major. At ICGEB Cape Town, she is in the Virology- Emerging Viruses group under the mentorship of Dr. Georgia Schafer. Sanshika’s internship will focus on generating SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirions to evaluate their infectivity. Successfully producing these pseudovirions will enable researchers to explore further research questions, such as testing potential inhibitors that block the interaction between the virus and the ACE2 receptor, thereby preventing infection.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this summer research internship at ICGEB Cape Town. It allows me to apply my bioengineering background to virological research and gain valuable skills in synthetic biology and molecular assays. This experience is essential for my future career in R&D. I am excited to contribute to the global efforts in understanding and combating COVID-19 and to learn from this incredible opportunity.” Sanshika Garg
Sadaf Habib is a Pakistani undergraduate student at NYU Abu Dhabi entering her junior year, pursuing dual majors in Biology and Computer Science.
At the Plant Systems Biology Group in ICGEB Cape Town under the leadership of Dr. Lara Donaldson, she will focus on the regulatory mechanisms of the auxin biosynthesis gene, Nitrilase 2 (Nit2). Our research involves identifying transcription factors interacting with Nit2’s promoter via Yeast 1 hybrid assays. Sadaf explains that she is currently cloning one of these factors into a plant expression vector for a transient protoplast assay and screening Arabidopsis mutants to explore phenotypic changes and gene expression related to Nit2 regulation.
“This internship at ICGEB has been an invaluable learning experience, allowing me to master a diverse range of experimental techniques from PCR and cloning to protein extraction and luciferase assays. Immersed in the dynamic environment of the molecular biology lab, I have gained firsthand insights into sophisticated research methodologies and laboratory practices. These experiences have significantly influenced my decision to pursue a PhD program upon graduation, where I am eager to deepen my expertise in molecular biology and contribute to scientific innovation for the betterment of society.” Sadaf Habib
