Session: Current Topics in Biological Chemistry:

The purpose of this project was to test heptylparaben’s effects on the viability of melanoma cells and ultimately determine an IC₅₀ value, or find what concentration kills half of the cells over what time period. The first objective of this project was to determine the solubility of the paraben in order to determine the concentration at which the compound could be dissolved and which solvent could be used. Secondly, the project experimentally found the treatment time and concentration of paraben that affected the viability of the cells. After determining the IC₅₀ value, a protein analysis of PARP using the western blot procedure was performed in order to find whether the cells were killed through the process of apoptosis or necrosis. It is important to know whether the cells were killed through apoptosis or necrosis because the way they die impacts their environment. Heptylparaben, pictured below, was a novel paraben that had not yet been tested on melanoma cells.

Emily Kinney

Appearances