Two flasks of mithramycin sit on the counter of associate Professor Daniel Scott’s lab in the Julian Center. Scott is supported by a number of students who assist him in the lab during the school year and over the summer. SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
DePauw students are combating cancer at the molecular level in Dr. Daniel Scott’s lab.
Dr. Daniel Scott, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is the figurehead of research and has been a professor at DePauw for three years. His lab specializes in developing new cancer drugs and more efficient ways to make those drugs reach cancer cells. The project is split up into two avenues: the first is the actual creation of the drug, and the second is the drug delivery to the cancer cells.
“To develop the drugs, we use a bacterium that produces the main molecule that we start with,” Scott said. “Once we get the drug pure and isolated, we do some other modifications on it once we have the pure drug. We do the modifications on it, check and make sure that they worked and that we have what we think we have, then basically, we give the drugs to cancer cells and hope that they die.
A significant feature of the drugs being developed is not just their effects on cancer cells but their effects on normal cells, too. The ideal goal is to develop a drug that combats and kills cancer cells and leaves no harmful effects on the surrounding normal cells. However, this Scott admits this is a lofty goal.
“It’s a constant balance between trying to make it just specific to the cancer, which in reality, is going to be very difficult to make it not interact with anything. If we can do that, great. If we can’t do that, we can just give a level that’s low enough that’s not going to have a very detrimental effect on other cells,” Scott said.
One reason Scott chose this field of laboratory research was because of its interest and appeal to students. Scott is a firm believer that it is much easier to be motivated for a project, and that project is much more gratifying, when one’s actually excited about the work and not just going through the motions.
“Research is frustrating," Scott said. "It doesn’t always work right, or rarely does it work right the first time, so I think having a bigger goal and being able to see that broader picture is important. It was interesting to me, but I also wanted to make sure I had projects that students were also interested in working on as well.”
Six different students are working Scott this semester in the lab: one senior, three juniors and two sophomores. Scott said that he prefers this range of ages in his staff. With the aid of older students with experience in the lab, it alleviates Scott’s workload to teach younger students. It is beneficial to the older students, too.
“I think it helps the students a lot in being able to actually transfer that knowledge on. I feel like to explain something, you have to really understand it. It’s easy for some people to do things just by themselves, and they have a system that works in their own head and they know what to do. But when you actually have to start explaining that to somebody else, and they have questions, it really tests your understanding of it. I think it’s helped the students have a firmer grasp of what they’re doing as well.”
Along with the ability explain ones knowledge in terms for others to understand it comes the real-world applications that the lab employs. Where the classroom provides foundational knowledge and basic understanding, the lab is where these two aspects become concrete.
“I think applying the information that you learned inside class outside of class to research-type problems does a lot for students in terms of developing critical thinking and developing overall understanding of what is really happening,” Scott said.
Scott continued to highlight the importance of applying not only one class’ information but all class’ information when it comes to work in the lab.
“It’s very easy as you’re taking classes to compartmentalize the information. When you actually start working on research, you see that those problems, a lot of times, they’re best answered by not trying to use one specific discipline or one specific function, but really tying together everything you’ve learned from all of your classes. Getting the students to the next level is a big motivation for me.”
This motivation has reaped results, especially for senior biochemistry major, Page Daniels. Daniels has participated in Dr. Scott’s lab for a total of four semesters and a full-time summer internship position. She is currently working on a thesis over Scott’s research. Daniels’ true passion for science began while taking upper level chemistry courses, such as Scott’s Bioanalytical Analysis and Instrumentation.
“These classes really forced me to delve into academic literature and discover all the new science that is currently being worked on,” said Daniels. With Scott’s guidance, Daniels has chosen to pursue graduate school, as well as a Ph.D. in science.
Like Daniels, junior biochemistry major and veteran to Scott’s lab, Liz Holland, especially enjoys Scott’s leadership method.
“He really cares that his students understand what they're doing in lab instead of just giving them a protocol and having them follow it without really understanding the theory behind it,” Holland said.
Sophomore biochemistry major Dallas Bell likes the ability to see their progress in the lab.
“I’ve really become attached to the project itself,” Bell said. “We’ve made some great steps to achieving our goal, although we’ve got a long way to go. There’s no greater satisfaction than being able to see the progress that we’re making and being every little bit closer to achieving our final goal.
Junior Luke Hartline, another biochemistry major, added, however, that mistakes are part of the process.
“I would say my biggest take-away would be that everything is not always going to turn out the exact way you want it to. Despite the mistakes I have made in the research lab, a take-away would be to stay focused and dedicated to the work that you are trying to accomplish.”
Scott agreed with this philosophy.
“Sometimes the mistakes end up being the findings. Some of the things I’ve personally discovered have been by accident I think some of the greatest accomplishments I’ve had are not what I intended to do or not what I thought would’ve happened. We take that approach in general with the drug.”
Scott continued, “We’re making some progress – it’s slow but exciting to actually see some results at the end, and that students actually get to kill some cancer cells.”