Samantha Perera
News Editor
Lycopene, a chemical that gives watermelons their red color, could someday help in the prevention of cancer, said Dr. Teresa Golden, assistant professor of the SE biological sciences department. Golden has been conducting research involving the study of cancer cells here at Southeastern for the past three years.
Golden graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in biology before pursuing her Master of Science in molecular biology. She completed her master’s at the University of Rochester in New York in 1994.
Golden then went on to complete her Ph.D. at Rochester in molecular biology. For her Ph.D. which she completed in 1999, Golden “did a lot of genetics” and “worked on plants,” she said. According to Golden, she holds “a patent for some of that work” she completed in her Ph.D.
Following her Ph.D. she went on to do postdoctoral work at the School of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. According to Golden, this was when she first began to work with cancer research.
Golden moved to SE in 2006 as a full-time professor with the understanding that she would continue her research, she said. Golden, who loves to teach, sees the lab as a “way to continue my teaching with students out of the classroom.”
Golden met Dr. Penelope Perkings, a scientist in Lane, who was conducting research with Dr. Stanley Rice, an associate professor in biological sciences at SE. Perkings was working with a high school student, Taylor Runyan, who was studying the properties of lycopene in watermelons, said Golden. “It is what gives the red color to watermelons and tomatoes,” she said.
According to Golden, she supervised Runyan as she continued her research on lycopene and assisted Runyan in planning, obtaining and presenting her data at several science fairs from 2008 to 2010.
Runyan “wanted to get into answering questions about human cells,” said Golden. “She took her ideas from working in the plant lab into our lab,” said Golden. Runyan began her work at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lab in Lane and then continued the research in Golden’s lab, she said. She also went on to say that Runyan has won several science fair awards while working with her.
According to Golden, she’s currently working on two main research projects that deal with studying cancer cells in culture. “Tissue culture means we have taken cells out of the body, cultured the cells and continued to grow them in media in an incubator,” said Golden.
In regards to cancer cells, this means the cells originated in a person’s tumor and now have been grown in dishes and flasks, said Golden. “We need to feed them things like serum and vitamins to keep them alive,” she said.
According to Golden the first project is a study on a particular protein termed PP5 or protein phosphatase 5.
The research involves investigating the signaling process of this protein, said Golden. “The ultimate goal would be to use that as a target to prevent cancer,” she said.
This was part of the research she was involved with in her postdoctoral work, said Golden. “The lab I was in was interested in an enzyme that’s a phosphatase,” said Golden, “It removes phosphates from proteins.”
The researchers found out the gene PP5 is expressed at a much higher level than normal in cancer cells, she said. “It gives the cell too much protection,” said Golden. “It will be very bad for your cancer cells.”
The second project is the ongoing study that involves the extracts and natural chemicals in watermelon, like lycopene, said Golden.
According to Golden, the study on watermelons also includes research on how the chemicals might protect our skin from sun damage in the usage of lotions and sunscreens.
“Some lotions are already on the market,” said Golden. “The research that has been published on this looks interesting,” said Golden, “so some people have just started adding it to give it a try.” According to Golden, lycopene primarily has good effects and is an antioxidant that is known to be beneficial for fighting prostate cancer. “It is bright red, so if you used it you could argue that maybe it would give you a little bit of a tanning effect, but if there was a lot in there you could probably look just bright red,” she said.
In theory, based on the current research, lycopene should be good for your skin in terms of helping deal with antioxidants and in blocking sunlight, said Golden.
According to Golden, she started her research at SE in the spring of 2007. During the spring Golden has around six or seven students working with her. Golden has had both undergraduate and graduate students assisting her with her research, said Golden. In the previous spring the students were “trying to understand how the chemicals stop cancer cells from growing,” said Golden. During this summer semester the students will continue to understand this process, she said.
Rebekah Ritchie, a biology major, was in charge of the research and graduated at the end of spring, said Golden. “Rebekah has been working with me now for several semesters,” said Golden.
“I have been doing research for a long time and never really liked it,” said Ritchie, “but when I transferred to SOSU I started working for Dr. Golden and found that I love research especially the research I do with her.”
According to Ritchie, she has found more confidence in herself through working with Golden.
“Her guidance and example has motivated me to obtain my Ph.D. in molecular biology and continue conducting cancer research,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie has presented at least five poster presentations based on the research she has done with Golden and has done a research internship.
She will be continuing the research internship this summer at the University of Oklahoma with the hopes of joining their graduate program, Golden said.
The research will be part of the INBRE scholarship, she said.
According to the INBRE website, “The IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence is a grant awarded by National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institutes of Health Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.”
Golden has had a few publications based on her research. The publications used the gathered data from her research on lycopene, said Golden, which includes its ability to protect from the sun.
She also hopes to find out more on the genes that gives this protection.
“I have published papers since I came here, two in 2008, but they are based on work I was doing myself, not what the students are doing,” she said.
According to Golden she is trying to get some of the data they presented published in a scientific journal, but has not published anything official yet.
Progress is slow, said Golden. “Cancer research is expensive,” she said, “and I have to keep writing lots of grants.”
“I have received grant money several times,” said Golden.
She hopes to learn how to stop cancers, especially breast cancer through the first part of the research.
She also went on to state that she hopes to understand some of the chemicals in watermelons and how they protect, and in some cases kill, cancer cells.
According to Golden this summer she has a total of eight students working with her. While five students are undergraduates registered for her class, two students will be on a volunteer basis, she said.