ACA repeal fails, but attempts continue
BY CHEYENNE ELLIS '21
After previous attempts in July 2017 to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Senate Republicans attempted again on Monday, only to fail after three GOP Senators announced plans to vote against the “Graham-Cassidy” bill. However, plans to resurrect the repeal are already in motion, according to Politico. Although a deadline for reform has been set for Sept. 30, Republicans aim to avoid this by including health care reform and tax reform requirements in the 2018 fiscal year budget. As with past attempts at reform, the bill will most likely evenly distribute federal block grant funds and to transfer health care requirements from federal to state control.
SUMMER RESEARCHERS REPORT BACK: Victoria Yan ’19 shares experience at MD Anderson Cancer Center
BY SABRINA EDWARDS ’18
Q: Where did you do research this summer?
A: I was in Houston this summer doing research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is affiliated with the University of Texas.
Q: What specifically were you researching?
A: So MD Anderson is obviously focused on cancer and eliminating cancer, so I was working on more of the chemical synthesis lab and chemical biology side of that area. I actually had two projects because we were initially assigned mentors and we didn’t really have a choice over who we were being assigned to.
Summer researchers report back: Yewon Lee ’19 forges ahead with protein mutation research
BY SABRINA EDWARDS ’18
Q: Where did you do research this summer?
A: I was here at Mount Holyoke in Professor McMenimen’s lab.
Q: What was your project?
A: I was assigned a new project with my lab partner during the spring semester, but my lab partner had another internship so she wasn’t here for the summer, so I was alone in the lab. I created a TAG point mutation in the n-terminus region using PCR of a small heat shock protein, specifically HSP27. Traditionally, the translational machinery would stop translation at the stop codon, and produce a truncated version of the protein. In my research, I transformed an orthogonal translational machinery and with the addition of unnatural amino acids (UAA), we are hoping to see the machinery charge the UAA at the stop codon, and continue translating to produce a full length protein.
Never Fear: Ask
BY TEAGAN WEBB ’18
As someone who works with my brain all day, it can be really scary when my body hurts and I can’t figure out why. “Why can’t I control this? Why is my body falling apart?” I think in a panic at 3 a.m., after googling ‘clitoris pain’ again but this time adding ‘sharp’ and ‘random.’ Luckily, I am blessed with funny, frank and non-judgmental friends. They sit with me while I read forums and tell me about their most unfortunate UTI’s. Moments like these remind me to feel unashamed that I can’t control the most vulnerable parts of my body.