A Lab Full of Skeeters! (a.k.a. Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes)

The past two days in my lab have been pleasantly intense. I'm working directly with an undergrad student named Brianna who has been totally understanding of my lack of scientific vocabulary (We end up using the term "stuff" to describe things like cell debris or various reagants in transfections all the time) and has already taught me (nearly) unfathomable amounts of information. I also spend a good amount of time with Jun, a post-doc who gets published about twice a year. He teaches by writing all over absolutely everything, including the walls of the lab, and quizzes me at various times during the day.

I began my internship by meeting the various other workers in the lab, and discovering that I will have my own research project, overseen by myself that will actually be contributing to the research of the lab. I will be identifying the location of the promoter region on the elongation factor 1 alpha-encoding gene. To do this I'll have to synthesize 3 pAaEF-1 alphaGL3 luciferase reporter plasmids. I even understoo that and how I was going to accomplish it after only 30 minutes in the lab! Since I began I have: performed a modified version of the miniprep, ran a basic electrophoresis and analyzed and photographed the gel (thanks for teaching me how Nadja!), ordered enzymes that we will use to induce a double digestion of a plasmid to test whether we can use RNAi (RNA interference) to suppress the experession of various proteins, done transfection with some S2 cells, dissected mosquitoes, isolated genomic DNA of an Ae. Aegypti, and ran a luciferase assay. My days have been cram-packed full of activities that allow me to learn more quickly than I could have imagined. Amazingly I now understand and use most of the terminology heard in the lab that seemed like a foreign language when I started. I'm also able to run my own experiements with Brianna bascially watching over my shoulder to make sure I don't do anything stupid (Luckily, I haven't yet!).

I walked into my lab knowing nearly nothing about the field I would be working in. After only two days I could work by myself in that very same lab and actually know what I was doing! (That's what I get to start next week...) Everyone is totally helpful and always willing to field my numerous questions about what we are doing, why we're doing it, and how that will lead into what we're doing next. I'm so confident walking into the lab now and getting started on any protocl Brianna gives me. I am also having loads of fun. Brianna and I laugh constantly about the randomest things in the lab, like pulling out the guts of a skeeter (that's a mosquito for those of you that don't speak my language :-) ). It is also great fun to run an experiment and obtain results that will actually aid in research. I'm loving everything about the experience and hope everyone else is ahving just as much fun!