"Protection of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae from UV-C light"

Abstract

Excessive exposure to sunlight can be harmful as the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays cause DNA damage. If this damage is not repaired in human cells, cancer and/or cell death can result. With the incidence of skin cancer growing at an increasing rate, there has been much research directed at finding more effective ways to protect against damage from the sun's harmful UV radiation. A number of commercially available products ranging from sunscreens to fabrics claim to protect humans from sunlight. The effects of UV radiation on cells and the mechanisms cells use to repair UV-induced DNA damage are hightlly conserved between yeast and humans. Therefore, yeast is an excellent model organism for the study of UV-induced DNA damage and DNA repair. The BIO12: General and Pre-professional Biology course includes an inquiry-based laboratory. During the genetics block of this lab, students use the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, common baker's yeast, to compare the abilities of substances to protect yeast cells against ultraviolet (UV) light. Each team of students designs and conducts an experiment, collects and analyzes data, and formally presents data in a poster format.