This week in the lab was again fascinating to me. Early in the week, I worked on trying to depict my data on graphs made with code. Before this I would make graphs with Excel, and even Desmos, and this worked but coding graphs allows you to make graphs in so many different ways so it is a good skill to have. One day, I shadowed one of my mentors, Fei, as she worked on prepping her FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) experiment. FISH is a cell dyeing technique used in the lab and it was really cool that I got to watch my mentor as she prepped her experiment. This week I worked on my own cell painting experiment which was very interesting. First I had to prep my cells, basically just using chemicals for a lot of cleaning. I would add a dye, then have to wash it, add another dye and wash it again.
This is the VAC I have at my work bench that I’m working on 3d printing a rack for.
While prepping my cells I noticed that my waste vac didn’t have a good hold to prop the vacuum up so I also worked on 3D printing a good holder. With my new prepped cells, I went to the microscope. At the microscope my mentor, Laura, helped me set up but then she left me to the microscope, to just take some pictures and explore the cells. So far in the internship I think this was the most fascinating experience I have had.
Microscope I used it the lab for my cell imaging experiment.
To just be able to sit with the microscope and look at the cells was such an amazing experience. I was able to look at them for so long because were weren’t gonna use the cells after this so it didn’t matter if I bleached them. On Friday, we had a party for Johannas, this scientist who is leaving to go start his own lab in Germany.
Harvard Med School green space where we had a party for the leaving scientist.
On the weekend, I went to go check out the MIT campus. This campus was pretty cool, my favorite campus in Boston is still Boston College but MIT is a school I like a lot and I think I’m going to apply there. I am so excited for next week because I think I will get to do more experiments.
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