Rap video stands out in science grant comp

A rap video of a young scientist promoting his skin cancer research is proving to be a popular entry in the Thinkable Innovation Awards, garnering crucial votes in the open research competition.

Wollongong University PhD student Nathaniel Harris features in a three-minute video offering an edgy and humorous performance full of witty rhyme sequences with the goal of taking out Thinkable.org’s $5000 grant to young scientists with innovative project ideas.

Thinkable.org is an engagement and funding platform that fosters ground-breaking scientific research.

Harris has begun research into improving the treatment success for skin cancer patients through an innovative 3D tumour invasion model. His work looks at analysing the effectiveness of specific therapeutics on individual skin cancer patients, utilising genome sequencing technology, advanced imaging techniques and novel drug targeting applications.

Skin cancer is a major health issue in Australia due to overexposure to harmful UV rays, accounting for 80% of all new cancers diagnosed each year. Australians have the highest rate of melanoma in the world.

Harris claims 2D experimentation (cancer cells in a petri dish) is the most common research method undertaken to understand the cytotoxic or inhibitory effect of novel compounds on cancer cell death, but does not accurately model the complex 3D environment of cancer invasion and spread (metastasis) which occurs in the human body.

Using a 3D model, combined with advanced imaging techniques, Harris says detailed mechanistic informa­tion on tumour invasion, migration and drug response is being discovered, as the 3D system emulates the environment that occurs in the body during cancer growth and invasion. Harris says the technique will allow for drug response testing on specific patient tumour samples, in order to gauge the effectiveness of treatment upon cancer cell migration within patient specific cancer states. 

The competition has captured the attention of researchers from Australian and international universities, with voting for the winner limited to registered members of the Thinkable community.