Miller Pan.

Research context & the oxygen question

In Robert Clarke’s lab at the Hormel Institute, I investigated metabolic changes and possible therapeutic vulnerabilities associated with endocrine resistance in breast cancer. The project focused on mitochondrial metabolism, the succinate–fumarate pathway, and how cells respond to changes in oxygen availability.

One question was whether oxygen availability contributes to the hypoxic-like metabolic behavior of resistant breast cancer cells. With feedback from my mentor, I developed a protocol to investigate that question and worked with experimental evidence from several complementary approaches.

Experimental work & evidence

I independently maintained breast cancer cell cultures and performed protein preparation, Western blotting, and cell-growth and migration assays. These experiments helped characterize the features associated with endocrine resistance.

The analysis brought together results from metabolic assays, imaging, flow cytometry, Seahorse analysis, and isotope-tracing studies. My work included interpreting those results alongside one another and developing the oxygen-availability protocol with mentor feedback. The project combined the practical work of maintaining experimental systems with the task of interpreting different kinds of evidence about cellular metabolism.

Symposium & ongoing manuscript

I presented a poster and flash talk at the Hormel Institute’s 2026 Summer Research Symposium. The presentation, with A. K. Yadav and Robert Clarke, was titled Mapping Endocrine Resistance–Associated Phenotypes and SDH-Linked Metabolic Vulnerability in Breast Cancer Cells.

The full-time summer internship has finished, and the manuscript collaboration continues. My contribution includes drafting and revising assigned sections, bringing together relevant literature and experimental evidence. That writing extends the project beyond the summer placement while the manuscript remains in progress.

Delivery research & computational screening

In Ameya Kirtane’s lab, I supported research on mRNA-based cancer therapeutics and lipid-nanoparticle delivery systems. The work combined experimental formulation development with computational screening of candidate compositions.

I used an existing Uni-Mol modeling pipeline to generate predictions for lipid-nanoparticle formulations and help prioritize candidates for experimental testing. The predictions helped guide which formulations to investigate at the bench.

Molecular biology & material preparation

Alongside computational screening, I performed molecular biology workflows that included in vitro transcription, mRNA purification with spin-column methods, and nucleic-acid quantification using NanoDrop. These were part of my support for the lab’s formulation and delivery research.

I also worked on biomaterial preparation and modification, including acrylate conjugation to chitosan for downstream formulation and experimental applications. The role brought together mRNA preparation, measurement, material modification, and computational screening during a part-time volunteer appointment from February 2025 through April 2026.

Lab research context

The group studies the physical mechanisms of cell division: how microtubules move and attach to chromosomes, and how cells distribute their genetic material accurately. Its broader research includes questions relevant to genome stability and antifungal drug resistance. This is the broader research setting as my project takes shape.

Read about the Gardner lab’s research ↗

Published work from the lab

In a 2023 study, Gardner and colleagues used budding yeast to examine how cells detach chromosome connections under low tension. They found that the forces generated as microtubules grow and shorten help separate weakened attachments.

Another 2023 study examined how low tension recruits the yeast protein Ipl1 to centromeres for error correction. Together, these studies show how the group connects molecular regulation with physical forces during cell division. They provide context for the lab’s work while my own project takes shape.

Microtubule dynamics and detachment · 2023 ↗
Low tension and Ipl1 recruitment · 2023 ↗

Experimental design & team coordination

In Foundations of Biology 2 Lab at the University of Minnesota, I conceived and led a three-student project asking how caffeine exposure influenced the response of Escherichia coli to antibiotic treatment. I developed the research question, treatment conditions, culture and plating strategy, and division of experimental tasks.

I took primary responsibility for bacterial culture, plating, antibiotic-treatment experiments, microscopy, and assessment of growth and other observable responses. I also led the comparison of results across conditions and coordinated the preparation and presentation of our findings.