(This is the FOURTH paper on a special issue on Wookiee science. You can read the first here, the second here, and the third here). Annals of Praetachoral Mechanics. (2014). Vol 1. pp39-49 pdf download. ABSTRACT Tyrosinase is an enzyme in the melanin biosynthetic pathway. Previous studies have shown that a lack in enzyme activity caused by mutations in the tyrosinase gene (TYR) results in tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism (OCA1) in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate if albino Wookiees who lack tyrosinase activity possess similar genetic defects to those seen in humans with mutations in this gene.…
The Science Creative Quarterly
By Michelle Chow, Keely Johnston, and Roseanne Lim
Michelle is a Cell Biology and Genetics student. After a long day of fish dissections and running western blots she enjoys curling up with a good book. Keely is a Master's student in Dr. Kevin Allen’s food microbiology laboratory at UBC Vancouver. When she isn’t wearing nitrile gloves and trying to find Listeria monocytogenes in food processing plants she likes to fall asleep during movies, speed walk, and make lists of things she likes to do. Roseanne is a 5th year Animal Biology undergrad student in UBC Vancouver and is also a research assistant at BC Children's Hospital. Her project looks at childhood malnutrition in paediatric surgical patients - more specifically she is interested in determining how the nutritional status of the child and other patient factors would impact surgical outcomes.