USU Undergrad Prepares to Present Genome Engineering, CRISPR Research on Utah's Capitol Hill

Undergraduate James Cisneros came to Utah State University to pursue research.

“I read about research projects at USU and how students were involved in those projects,” says the Salt Lake County native. “I had started college at another school that didn’t offer these kinds of opportunities, and I realized I needed to transfer to an R1 research university like Utah State if I wanted that kind of education.”

Cisneros, a human biology major who conducts genome engineering (GE) research in the lab of faculty mentor Zhongde Wang in the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, is among about 30 USU scholars who’ll present research posters to state legislators in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 20, as part of 2025 Undergraduate Research Day on Utah’s Capitol Hill. The annual event, initiated in 2000, brings scholars from Utah State and the University of Utah to the hub of legislative activity to highlight the importance of university research to the welfare of local communities and in preparing Utah scholars to tackle future challenges.

After arriving at USU’s Logan campus, Cisneros, who sought opportunities in genetic modification, worked as a volunteer in the lab of USU biochemist Ryan Jackson.

“Dr. Jackson studies a newly discovered CRISPR system called CAS12a2, and as I talked with him about my interests, he encouraged me to contact Dr. Wang, who employs GE techniques, including CRISPR/Cas9, along with assisted reproduction technologies, to create GE animal models of human diseases,” Cisneros says. “I took his advice and Dr. Wang eventually hired me as a research technician.”

Cisneros, the recipient of a Utah System of Higher Education Student Success Scholarship, had worked as a lab technician at his previous college, but admits he had no experience with the precision techniques and equipment in the Wang Lab.

“There was a huge learning curve at first, as I learned to use specialized microscopes and micromanipulators to perform assisted reproduction techniques, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer or ‘cloning,’ and pronuclear injection,” he says.

Micromanipulators, microtools with which the microscopes are equipped, feature micropipettes using hydrostatic pressure, used to inject, cut, hold and handle samples at a microscopic level.

“These tools enable us to manipulate an embryo or individual cells,” Cisneros says. “We use these SCNT microscopes for such techniques as reproductive cloning and stem cell research.”

Another technique Cisneros says he continues to work toward mastering, is creating the tiny glass pipettes used in the microscopy procedures.

“We make our own pipettes, and it’s a challenge getting these fragile tubes just right,” he says.

Cisneros is working on Wang’s research project with alpacas.

“These animals, which are part of the Camelidae family, like camels and llamas, have a unique class of antibodies called Heavy Chain-only Antibodies or ‘hcAbs,’” he says. “These are more stable than conventional antibodies, such as human antibodies, and smaller, which enables them to enter cells and cross the blood-brain barrier.”

With their research, the USU scientists hope to genetically engineer nanobodies to combat human diseases. But it’s a long process that requires repeated trials and perseverance.

Among the skills Cisneros is honing is laparoscopic surgery on female alpacas to collect oocytes, unfertilized ova, from the animals, for use in in vitro production of embryos for the nanobody research.

Arriving at USU’s South Farm before 5 a.m. and conducting surgery until early afternoon, Cisneros says he sometimes can’t believe the activities he’s performing as an undergraduate.

“USU veterinarians assist us with the anesthesia and care of the animals and, sometimes I look around and think, ‘Wow, with all these professionals, why am I the one doing the procedure?’” he says. “It’s really amazing, and I’m grateful for these opportunities that will help me toward a future research career.”

Cisneros says he loves the “culture of research,” and the opportunity to work with supportive mentors.

“Research is hard, you hit walls and you fail over and over again,” he says. “Most of the time you get it wrong. But you keep trying. The percentage of time you succeed is low, but when you do succeed, it’s big. Really big.”

Cisneros says he looks forward to sharing his research experiences on Utah’s Capitol Hill.

“So often, I work behind secured doors in a solitary lab,” he says. “I think it’s important to share research publicly, and to let decision makers know how important research is to our well-being, how it improves our educations and the work behind developing innovative solutions that make our world better.”