Welcome back to my blog!
Unfortunately, for
the first half of the week, I had a bit more training to do. Monday through
Thursday were spent getting three more certifications: Fire Safety, Laboratory
Safety, and Hazardous Waste. Everyone working in a lab at ASU must meet these
general course requirements. I had to attend a class at ASU to get my Lab
Safety credit. All the rest could be taken online.
On Tuesday, I also
got to go into the lab for the first time. Since I wasn't quite finished with
my certifications, I couldn't go into the wet lab, but I was able to meet some
of the students and observe the work that they were doing. All the
students that I met are attending Barrett, the honors college at ASU that I
will be a part of next year, and were working on their Barrett theses. They are
able to their theses in conjunction with the lab.
One woman was working with images of brain slices from around 30
to 40 different rats. For her thesis, she devised a new method of analyzing
some of the lab’s old data. The lab was looking at the rats’ ability to navigate
a water maze before and after being stressed. She had different brain slices
comparing the two conditions saved to her computer. The brain slices were
stained to show the activation of a protein in a specific region of the brain
(the name of the region has escaped me). She was doing a lot of data crunching
while I was in the lab.
Today is Friday, and I am going to be attending my first lab
meeting. Everyone working in the lab meets to discuss a research article (I’m
not quite sure how a particular one is chosen). The one that we are working
with this afternoon is called “Stress
revisited: A critical evaluation of the stress concept” by Koolhaas et. Al (I’ve
included a link in case you’re interested). The premise of the paper is that
our definition of stress is too vague for research purposes and that it is hard
to tell whether a stimulus is adaptive or maladaptive. The article concludes
that the definition of stress should be restricted to “conditions where an
environmental demand exceeds the natural regulatory capacity of an organism,” especially
in situations that are unpredictable or uncontrollable.
I will be heading to the lab meeting in about 30 minutes and will
be sure to keep everyone updated on how it goes.
Thanks for reading,
Gillian
Hey Gillian!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know working in a lab would require this much paperwork. Are there any more tests you need to take to work in the wet lab? Did you like interacting with the college students participating in similar research projects? I'm glad you got to go in the lab this week; I know last week you had to get certified for other things as well. I can't wait to hear about your time in lab!
Best of luck,
Shivalee Nigam
Hi Shivalee!
DeleteThere are two more tests that I need to take in order to work in the wet lab, so, when I have been going in, I have mostly done data crunching. I really enjoyed talking to the college students as it gave me more of an idea of what I will be doing at ASU next year.
Thanks for your comment,
Gillian
Hi Gillian!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting how the Barrett lady is using old data with a new spin. What a way to not waist a brain!
Also, the stress requirement makes a lot of sense.....a concise stress would be easier to measure as compared to a vague one.
Get all that training done this week so we can hear all the excitement in the lab!
Have a great week!
Jakob Krygier
Hi Jakob!
DeleteThanks for following so closely along. Things are finally moving forward in the lab (I'm even getting my own ID, so I will have access to the building). I will be going in a lot more this week, and it sounds like they will have a lot more for me to do.
Thanks again,
Gillian
Hi Gillian! It's great to hear that you are overcoming all your obstacles without much difficulty. I can't wait to hear more about the aforementioned brain slices and other research going on in the lab. Good luck eventhough you don't need it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dani! Can't wait to update you guys on the projects that they are working on.
DeleteHi Gillian!
ReplyDeleteThe definition of stress stated by that paper clarifies a lot about what is going to be tested on the rats. I am glad that you were able to work in the lab and interact with the other college students. Thanks for the detailed update and good luck with your remaining tests!
Vara Vungutur
Thanks Vara! Working in the lab has been a great learning experience.
DeleteHi Gillian!
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting to analyze the effects of rats and how stress can be responsible for affecting daily performance. Good Luck!
Bhavik Rajaboina
Thanks for your comment Bhavik!
DeleteHey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had to go through more training, but your overall lab experience so far sounds stimulating. I can't wait to hear how your lab meeting goes! Did you meet any other students at the lab? Also, does the lab use the new method for evaluating previous lab data now?
Best of luck for the future,
Anya Wahal
Hi Anya! I've met more of the students every day I go into the lab, and it seems like they are excited for me to help with their projects. There are many projects going on in the lab. One of the many is the new method for evaluating data. The undergraduate student is working on that for her Barrett thesis and is hoping that other lab members will improve upon it with time. Thanks for following along!
DeleteGillian,
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by the amount of training they required but at least now you are able to visit the lab. It is nice that you are able to work with people in the school you will be attending and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
Thanks Bianca! I think the Senior Project is a really great opportunity.
DeleteHi Gillian. I'm sorry to hear that you are having to deal with a ton of paperwork, but at least you'll be prepared for when you do attend Barrett. At least you haas the opportunity to meet other students and attend the meeting. I can't wait to hear more about the meeting!
ReplyDeleteThanks Frida!
DeleteHi Gillian! Sounds like again you had a pretty rough week. I certainly hope that it gets better for you. Just to clarify, what exactly is the difference between a lab and a wet lab? Also, what type of scan is the lab using to take these slices of the rats' brains? Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob! A wet lab is a lab where chemicals and other material or biological matter are handled. It requires ventilation and other utilities. The part of the lab that I have been working in doesn't have any of this equipment (I've been sitting at a desk, doing various analyses). In terms of the brain slices, the rats must, unfortunately, be euthanized and their brains obtained in surgery. The slices are then examined under a microscope. Thanks for your questions!
DeleteHi Gillian,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you still had more training to do and more paperwork to fill out. This project does seem more clear after defining stress. However, for the definition of stress, by saying that stress is where the "environmental demand exceeds the natural regulatory capacity of an organism," is this referring to only biological demands or does it include social demands as well? Good luck with your research!
~ Jileena
Hi Jileena! The definition includes social demands as well. The paper goes into an example of two male rats fighting over territory. This occurs in nature and the rats are able to adapt to the demands of either winning or losing. Thanks for your question!
DeleteHey Gillian! So cool that you are getting exposure to undergraduate research opportunities so quickly! I am interested to learn more about what you find as it relates to brain plasticity in rats in the coming weeks! Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kayvon!
Delete