28 Jun Stella Coe- UCSD George Lab- Week 3

This week involved a lot of repetitive tasks, which I am beginning to recognize as absolutely essential to scientific research. We have to repeat the same experiments over and over again to ensure accuracy, verify findings, and build confidence in the results. A large part of this week also involved cleaning, organizing, and preparing everything for the new cohort of rats.

On Monday, Kaila and I did a deep clean of more operant boxes while listening to the entire soundtrack of *Little Shop of Horrors*—it was a blast. We also organized the operation room in preparation for an upcoming inspection. The inspection ensures that the animals are being cared for properly and that there is no unnecessary harm to them. We had to go through every item, check expiration dates, and throw away anything that was too old.

-We found some pretty cool glasses while organizing

Later that evening, I helped Sonja take the ethanol rats out once they had finished their exposure cycle. The data from this experiment have been coming back a little wonky, so she suspected that something was off in either the procedure or the testing process. We used a high-tech, yet not very user-friendly, breathalyzer to confirm the ethanol concentration in each chamber. The process was tedious but necessary to make sure the chambers were functioning correctly.

Tuesday looked much the same. I made more hoodsies, organized supplies, took the ethanol rats out of their chambers, recorded more data, and cleaned the chambers afterward. The evening, however, was especially celebratory because it was Liliana’s birthday! We surprised her with brownies, balloons, and a special weighted stuffed animal—something that each girl here has. We ended the night with a family movie and lots of giggles.

On Wednesday, I helped with more Von Frey tests, did some additional organizing, and once again worked with the ethanol rats. That night, Kaila made her delicious ceviche, and we treated ourselves to boba afterward.

-Before and after pic of organizing

I learned something new on Thursday! My mentor, Sonja, is writing a paper about the effects of methamphetamine on rats with different genes. She explained that one group of rats in her study, called TH-Cre rats, responded very differently to methamphetamine than expected. While most rats became addicted to meth, these rats did not show the same addictive response. Interestingly, when the researchers tested the same rats with cocaine, they became just as addicted as the other rats. This suggests that whatever was protecting these rats was specific to methamphetamine and not to addictive drugs in general. Scientists are studying why this happens because understanding what makes some brains less vulnerable to meth addiction could eventually help lead to better treatments for people struggling with methamphetamine addiction. I thought it was fascinating that a small genetic difference could have such a specific effect on one drug but not another.

Outside of the lab, I have been having a blast with all the girls here. Between the chaotic Target runs, long beach days, and crowded farmers’ markets, we are constantly finding ways to have fun together. Living with five other interns is definitely one of the best parts of this experience.