Researcher Mark Kimak analyzes the various functional domains of a protein. The presence of a mutation within one of the functional domains can adversly affect the activity of a protein. Here Mark uses a computer modelling program to predict the functional domains of a protein based on its amino acid sequence. Computers are an integral part of Molecular Genetics due to the highly complex calculations necessary to model long sequences of amino acids or DNA.

Doctoral student Patrick Shea works in a biohazard hood to isolate DNA from a peripheral blood sample. The isolation of DNA is an important step in performing genetic analysis, as many of the cellular proteins will break-down the patients DNA over time. Here Patrick adds a solution of ethanol and NaCl (salt) in order to wash the cellular proteins off of a chromatography column. After the wash, the DNA remains stuck to the column and can then be isolated.

The infamous "Great Wall of Samples". This picture, taken from the inside of a room-sized refrigerator kept at 4^oC, illustrates the large number of samples necessary to perform an effective population study. Each of the individual boxes contain over 200 DNA samples. Most of the studies performed in the Ferrell lab are large population studies, involving hundreds or thousands of patients.

An MJ PTC-225 Tetrad Thermalcyler. This device is used to perform Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA. In effect, it "copies" a patients DNA. In less than 2 hours a single DNA strand can be used to produce over a million identical copies. The Ferrell lab has 3 Tetrad Thermalcyclers, each with 4 heating blocks (hence the name Tetrad). Each block can simultaneously perform 96 PCR reactions.

Here a sequencing analysis program displays data from a rare triallelic variant (position highlighted in yellow). Most variation (changes in DNA sequence) usually display two forms (alleles). Here the variant appears as three forms: C, T, or G. The top 3 chromatograms show individuals who are homozygous for one of the three alleles. The bottom 3 show individuals who are heterozygous for a combination of two out of the three alleles.

Graduate student Lee Roman isolates DNA from a patients blood. By centrifuging a whole blood sample at high speed, the blood is actually seperated into its constituent parts. The layer containing lymphocytes, called the buffy coat, is then carefully extracted from the sample and a highly DNA-enriched fraction is obtained.

The Ferrell Lab gets together to say goodbye to Steve Roth (seated in center). After completing his post-doctoral work here at the Ferrell Lab, Steve is headed back to the University of Maryland to continue his research in the fields of exercise physiology and human genetics.