Marc Pashin Back to basic
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Research · 02

BioCurious

Project Leader & Independent ResearcherSep 2022 — Aug 2026

Ran CRISPR gene-editing experiments at a community biology lab — including work toward better progeria treatment — and taught what I learned.

1,500+students taught
10+open-source protocols published
A549cell line used for Wee1 knockouts
Role
Project Leader & Independent Researcher
When
Sep 2022 — Aug 2026
Where
BioCurious community lab
Techniques
CRISPR-Cas9 · cell culture · protein purification · transformations · PCR · gel electrophoresis · mini-preps

01In short

BioCurious is a community biology lab — a place where anyone can do real lab science. I ran my own research projects there and helped teach others.

My main work used CRISPR (a gene-editing tool) to switch off a gene called Wee1 in human lung-cancer cells, and to explore ways CRISPR could make an existing drug, Lonafarnib, work better for Progeria — a rare disease that causes rapid aging in children.

02What I did

  • Performed CRISPR knockouts of the Wee1 gene in A549 cells.
  • Did the full range of bench work: cell culture, protein purification, translations, transformations, PCR, gels, and mini-preps.
  • Researched CRISPR-based strategies to improve Lonafarnib's effectiveness against Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS).
  • Co-developed educational workshops, published 10+ open-source protocols, and taught 1,500+ students.

03How I got started

I started at BioCurious in September 2022 because I wanted to do real experiments, not just read about them. A community lab made that possible: the equipment, reagents, and experienced members were already there, and anyone willing to learn the techniques could run a project of their own.

I learned the bench basics first: culturing cells, running PCR and gels, transformations, and mini-preps. From there I moved on to leading my own CRISPR projects.

04The progeria project

Progeria (HGPS) is caused by a faulty protein called progerin, which builds up inside cells and damages the nucleus. Lonafarnib, the only approved treatment, blocks a step that lets progerin anchor to the nuclear membrane. It slows the disease, but it doesn't stop it.

My research looked at whether CRISPR could help close that gap: gene-editing strategies that could work alongside Lonafarnib to make it more effective.

Alongside that, I ran CRISPR knockouts of the Wee1 gene in A549 lung-cancer cells. Wee1 helps control when a cell divides, and it's studied as a target for cancer drugs, which made it a good system for running the full knockout workflow from start to finish.

05Teaching

I co-developed hands-on workshops and taught more than 1,500 students. I also wrote up the procedures I used as open-source protocols, more than 10 of them, so anyone could repeat the work in another community lab or classroom.

Teaching and research fed each other. Writing a protocol clearly enough for a beginner is a good test of whether you actually understand every step.

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