Sanvi Sharma
Senior at Archbishop Mitty High School
Research Portfolio
Academics
UW GPA: 3.94
Total Cum GPA: 4.59
SAT: 1540 - 790 Math 750 English
USA Fencing
- LifeTime Member
- Div 1 Teams April 2023 NAC - Silver Medal
- C 2024
Summer Programs
UC Berkeley: Intro to Neuranatomy and Intro to CRISPR
Hofstra : Identifying correlation between seizure localization and its duration
Extracurriculars
Mitty Speech and Debate: 1st and 8th place at CHSSA State Qualifiers in original advocacy and declamation (respectively)
ASDRP: conducting genomics research (#scrollpoint01)
Biology Club: Upcoming Officer
ICA student Volunteer: teach English to girls in Kashmir
Second Harvest Volunteer
D1 Youth Advisory Council
- Secretary, D1, YAC served on the Youth Advisory Council for the 1st District of San Jose, CA.
- Representing the 245,000 youth of San Jose and advocating for their interests through policy, community discussion forums, and leading city-wide volunteer activities.
Sanvi Sharma
Research Portfolio
Investigating 2A Peptide Cleavage Efficiency in Polycistronic Vectors
Sanvi Sharma
Research Portfolio
Lipopeptides as a Combinatorial Treatment for Colorectal Tumors
Approximately 52,900 people die yearly in the US from colorectal cancer as it remains one of
the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Current treatment options generally include a
combination of surgery and immunotherapy. While these approaches have improved survival
rates, many of these approaches are invasive, and are primarily effective in early-stage disease,
when the tumor can be more easily removed. For patients diagnosed at later stages, these
treatments are often far less effective or entirely unsuitable. Additionally, immunotherapies
depend on the immune system recognizing tumors, but cancer cells can evade detection by
altering antigen presentation, meaning they change the protein signals shown on their surface
to avoid being spotted by immune cells. Given these limitations, there is a clear need to explore
alternative therapies. This study focuses on the development of a non-invasive technique
involving lipopeptides–molecules composed of amino acids conjugated to lipids–to treat
colorectal tumors. Initially, we tried to synthetically produce lipopeptides using solid phase
peptide synthesis (SPPS), but turned towards utilizing the cyclic lipopeptide surfactin, which is
extracted from Bacillus subtilis. Surfactin, recognized for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory
properties, is also known as an anticancer agent. It combines direct cytotoxic effects–such as
inducing apoptosis by activating cell death pathways and inhibiting survival signals–with broad
immune modulation. By disrupting multiple signaling pathways that regulate cancer cell
proliferation, survival, and metastasis, surfactin effectively inhibits tumor growth and spread
while making it harder for tumors to develop resistance. As of now, we have successfully
cultured the HCT-116 colorectal cancer cell line and will be attaching the surfactin we have
extracted to these cells. To assess the effectiveness of these compounds in inhibiting cancer
cell growth, we will perform MTT assays, which measure cell viability and proliferation. This will
help us determine whether surfactin can induce apoptosis in HCT-116 cells, indicating their
potential as anticancer agents.
Sanvi Sharma
Research Portfolio
Sanvi Sharma
Senior at Archbishop Mitty High School
Research Portfolio
Please find below summary of the work done over last summer