Troy, N.Y. — Armed with a microscope, sharp eye, and knack for design, Caitlin Piette isn’t shy about letting her creative side influence her work in the laboratory — and vice versa.

A senior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Piette will graduate May 19 with a major in biology, bioinformatics, and molecular biology. She takes just as much pride in her award-winning biology research as her role in the growing of Rensselaer’s student-run campus arts and music venue, Ground Zero.

A native of Woonsocket in northern Rhode Island, Piette enrolled at Rensselaer in 2003 with ambitions to become an architect. She eventually decided biology would be a better fit. 

In the lab and classroom, Piette is known for her skill in microscopy and her ability to coax a strong image from even the toughest of samples. Her use of bright colored stains often results in detailed images that are more intuitive and easier to understand than traditional slides.

“Ever since I could hold a Crayon I’ve been involved in art,” said Piette, who is also a painter, sculptor, and photographer. “Being able to think creatively about problems allows me to see a lot of solutions that didn’t come up before.” 

These skills helped Piette take first place in Rensselaer’s 2006 Undergraduate Research Forum and in 2005 secure 18 months of funding from the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 

Piette’s research sought to investigate the relatively unknown effects of certain proteins on embryonic development. The set of proteins, called matrix metalloproteinase, or MMPs, are particularly important because their expression correlates with many diseases, including cancer. Studies suggest cancer patients with high levels of MMPs are less likely to survive, but scientists are still uncertain of the proteins’ exact relationship with the disease.

Humans have more than 20 different MMPs, while Drosophila melanogaster, common fruit flies, have only two. A team of researchers at Rensselaer is studying the flies to identify how and when these MMPs are utilized during growth, and how mutations affect development.

Simply removing the MMPs is not an option. Lacking MMPs is not a fatal condition for fruit fly embryos, but the research team at Rensselaer has demonstrated that one of the MMPs is required for the continued development of the trachea, or breathing tubes, in embryonic and larval Drosophila. Understanding why this happens could lead to more precise knowledge about the role of MMPs in the onset of cancer and other disease. 

Piette studied mutant flies engineered to lack MMPs, scrutinized their trachea, identified and characterized any defects, and then categorized the data. This required patience and plenty of microscope work, including creative ways of staining the cells to highlight and amplify any defects.

Piette’s adviser and head of the MMP project, Andrea Page-McCaw, an assistant professor in Rensselaer’s Biology Department, applauded the senior’s efforts. 

“Caitlin’s visual sensibility has given her a tremendous advantage in looking at visual data,” Page-McCaw said. “Not only can she easily interpret what she sees, but she can produce beautiful and informative photomicrographs that really capture the essence of the experiment. Hers is a wonderful example of how scientists bring their independent abilities and talents to their research.”

Piette was happy to help. “It’s been incredible for me, knowing everything I do could contribute to the fight against cancer,” she said. “It’s completely fascinating.”

When not in class or the lab, Piette sought out other students interested in arts and music. Together, they inherited the management of Ground Zero and ran it as a showcase for student artists and musicians on campus. The student-run venue, tucked in the basement of Rensselaer’s Nugent Hall, hosts a wide variety of music acts, art shows, open mike nights, and film festivals every semester.

Piette and other Ground Zero organizers also participated in an ongoing citywide effort to help revitalize Troy’s historic waterfront downtown. The art and music event, dubbed Troy Night Out, takes place on the last Friday of every month and aims to lure area residents downtown to rediscover their hometown and support local businesses.

Piette is currently pursuing external funding to help continue her research on Drosophila MMPs. In the fall she plans to enroll in a doctoral program at Brandeis University outside Boston to study genetics and neuroscience.

Contact: Michael Mullaney
Phone: (518) 276-6161
E-mail: mullam@rpi.edu