At Cal Poly, Elizabeth Manis is a rising senior studying Microbiology and Bioinformatics. Over the past two and a half years at Cal Poly, she has been conducting research in both physical chemistry and immunology, studying the photochemistry of dithiocarboxylates under the guidance of Dr. David F. Zigler and investigating the antibacterial effects of small extracellular vesicles in the Greenlee-Wacker laboratory.
As an Amgen Scholar at UCLA, Elizabeth is working in Dr. Gal Bitan’s lab, developing methods for non-invasive isolation of neuronal extracellular vesicles from urine. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are carrier nanoparticles that can transport cell products such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, and often function in intercellular communication. EVs released from central nervous system (CNS) cells can cross the blood-brain barrier, becoming detectable in peripheral fluids such as blood and urine. Within the context of neurodegenerative disease, these EVs can contain protein ‘biomarkers’: indicators of health. Her work aims to isolate CNS-originating EVs from urine for measurement of these neurodegenerative disease biomarkers. A urine-based diagnostic would eliminate patient barriers to disease identification due to its non-invasive modality, permitting the repeated collection of large volumes without the pain or materials required for blood sampling.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Elizabeth aims to pursue a PhD in Immunology/Molecular Biology, with a strong interest in the innate immune system. Elizabeth would like to thank Dr. Gal Bitan, Dr. Ibrar Siddique, all members of the Bitan lab, UCLA, and the Amgen Foundation for their support and guidance in her scientific endeavors.