The colored area can then be compared to a kaleidoscope protein standard containing carbonic anhydrase at about the 40 kilodalton size to see if the carbonic anhydrase is active in the sample that was run in the gel. Exact size of proteins and location of, in this case, carbonic anhydrase-specific activity can be determined from the use of this method. The focus of the project was Acanthamoeba polyphaga, a free-living amoeba that exists in a bloblike trophozoite form and a dormant cyst form. It is common in the water supply and contaminates contact lenses that are not properly cleaned and disinfected. It breaks down collagen in the cornea, causing corneal keratitis.
Drug treatment is difficult because the amoebae can encyst to protect itself.
The goal of the project is the study of the serine protease that the amoebae uses to break down the corneal collagen. Products of the anticipated correct size were excised, prepared, and sent away for sequencing. The concept of culturing plant tissue on microporous polypropylene membranes over liquid media is a very new direction in horticulture research. This is done to eliminate unwanted algae or bacteria which may be detrimental to plant growth. The question, then, is how quickly the bleach solution diffuses through the microporous membrane and what effects the bleach has on the tissue cultures themselves.