Project Title: Investigating the Role of Autophagy in Cancer Cells

Background:

Autophagy is a cellular process that plays a key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by degrading and recycling damaged or unnecessary components within the cell. Dysregulation of autophagy has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. In cancer cells, autophagy can either promote or inhibit tumor growth depending on the context and stage of cancer progression.

Project Goals:

1. Investigate the role of autophagy in cancer cells by analyzing gene expression data from publicly available databases
2. Compare the expression levels of autophagy-related genes in cancer cells versus normal cells to identify potential dysregulated genes. 
3. Explore the potential mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of autophagy in cancer cells, such as mutations in key autophagy genes or alterations in signaling pathways.

Deliverables:

1. Analysis of autophagy-related gene expression in cancer cells and normal cells
2. Identification of dysregulated autophagy-related genes in cancer cells
3. Discussion of potential mechanisms underlying dysregulation of autophagy in cancer cells and their implications for cancer therapy

Timeline:

• Week 6-7: Conduct literature review on autophagy and cancer
• Week 9: Analyze gene expression data from publicly available databases
• Final day: Continue analyzing, interpret data and prepare final report and presentation