Kathryn Fanning, a biology major who holds the UAlbany women’s record in the mile and 1,000 meter run, is on the fast track to success. Her latest achievement is authorship of an article in a major international research journal.
Fanning prizes the opportunity she has had to work at The RNA Institute, which brings together top scientists, working with state-of-the-art facilities, to spur research and discovery into medical interventions and diagnostics aimed at treating a range of diseases.
“The RNA institute is an incredible establishment,” said Fanning. “Researchers like Dr. Agris provide the opportunity for undergrads to carry out experiments on their own and perform studies with the guidance of graduate and PhD students. Kimberly Harris has been extremely helpful to me by ensuring I understand the underlying science behind the experiments I am performing.”
The study “A novel role of cytosolic protein synthesis inhibition in aminoglycoside ototoxicity,” published in the Journal of Neuroscience, considers the effects of a specific group of antibiotics known as aminoglycosides on hearing loss. Fanning’s work focused on finding evidence that the antibiotics were damaging hair cells located within the ear by binding to a specific section of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). “I found this research very interesting because it brings together the biochemistry that is involved in medicine and illustrates exactly how the drugs are functioning.”