Carroll Group
Programme overview
We are excited to offer an opportunity for Year 12 students to gain hands-on experience with the Carroll Lab, a research group focused on understanding how certain proteins, like steroid receptors, influence cancer growth and treatment resistance. Our work centers on breast cancer, with a focus on the estrogen receptor (ER)—a key player in driving the growth of many breast cancers.
This placement will introduce students to cutting-edge research that uses tools from genomics, molecular biology, and computational analysis to uncover how cancers behave and respond to treatments.
What you will do
During the placement, students will have the chance to:
- Observe cell culture techniques to see how we grow and study breast cancer cells in the lab.
- Watch how we use imaging tools, such as the IVIS imaging system, to study cancer growth in mouse models.
- Learn about protein analysis techniques like western blotting, which help us study key proteins involved in cancer.
- Observe and practice basic data analysis and computational methods to interpret experimental results.
- See how scientists study DNA through techniques like:
- ChIP-seq (to study protein-DNA interactions),
- DNA purification (isolating DNA from cells),
- Using tools like Qubit and Tapestation for quality control (QC).
- Observe parts of molecular cloning, including PCR (polymerase chain reaction), gel analysis, and DNA isolation.
- Learn how we use CRISPR technology to identify key vulnerabilities in cancer
About the lab
The Carroll Lab specialises in understanding how steroid receptors (proteins that control gene activity) influence breast cancer. One of the main steroid receptors we study is the estrogen receptor (ER), which plays a key role in many breast cancers.
Our research aims to:
- Understand how the estrogen receptor affects the behavior of cancer cells.
- Explore why some cancers stop responding to treatments (drug resistance).
- Use tools like genomics (studying DNA), proteomics (studying proteins), and molecular biology techniques to uncover how cancer develops and grows.
By combining experiments in the lab with computational analysis, we work to identify new ways to treat breast cancer and overcome resistance to existing therapies.
What to expect
This placement offers an immersive and interactive experience in cancer research. You’ll observe cutting-edge lab techniques, explore how scientists analyze data, and learn about the tools we use to study how breast cancer behaves and evolves.
Here are some of the activities students observed and explored last year:
- Cell culture: Watching how cancer cells are grown and maintained under sterile conditions.
- IVIS imaging: Observing how we study tumour growth in mouse models using specialized imaging tools.
- Protein analysis (western blots): Learning how we detect and study specific proteins in cancer cells.
- Computational methods and basic data analysis: Understanding how scientists process and interpret experimental data.
- DNA techniques: Watching experiments like ChIP-seq, DNA purification, Qubit measurements, and quality control using Tapestation.
- Molecular cloning: Observing key processes like PCR (amplifying DNA), gel analysis, and isolating DNA.
What you will gain
By the end of the placement, you will:
- Gain insight into how scientists study breast cancer using real-world lab techniques and tools.
- Understand how DNA, proteins, and data analysis come together to help answer important research questions.
- Develop observational skills, learn about teamwork in science, and explore how lab-based and computational approaches contribute to cancer research.
If you are curious about biology, genetics, and how cancer research can lead to new treatments, this placement will inspire you and help you explore what a career in science might look like!