And so it ends…
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007These eight weeks have gone by far faster than I ever imagined was possible. And I’m happy to say that it was a truly awesome experience! I finished my poster late Sunday night, a little frustrated by the lack of conclusive data I had to present. If only I could stay another couple of weeks to finish out the second group of mice, I might be able to see something significant emerge from the data.
But reflecting on the summer, I’m starting to realize that it was “less about the results and more about the process” as a labmate of mine so wisely put it. (Well, maybe that’s not exactly true in the real world when you have to worry about publishing and getting grants, but it works for me.) I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to be a part of the lab team. I’ve learned a lot, and I don’t just mean how to handle mice or the fastest way to clean out mouse poop from the activity boxes or even where the mice are most likely to hide when they’re trying to escape you (although I can assure you, I certainly learned those lessons quickly.) This summer I got my first real look at the scientific method in action, and though it’s not as simple as it seemed in seventh grade science class, it sure is a whole lot more interesting. It’s full of mistakes and unseen obstacles that you have to work around and problem-solve. And what was really cool was that I learned more than just the small task I was assigned to. I got to hear from my coworkers at lab meetings, I talked to fellow Howard Hughes Research Fellows to find out about their projects, and I sat through many talks from Duke faculty on a wide variety of topics within the large umbrella of biological research. At the beginning of each seminar, the lecturers were asked to tell their story about how they got to be where they are today, and I must say it was encouraging to learn that not everyone was born working in a laboratory. The program was phenomenal and geared exactly toward people like me - considering a career in science, but unsure how to go about it. I’m especially grateful to both the West and Williams labs for their help along the way and for patiently answering all my questions. I had a terrific time and I certainly hope this won’t be my last encounter with biological research.
And if you’re in the area and would like to see the awesome poster that I worked so hard on, come to the poster session this Friday, July 27th, 10:30-12 at the LSRC Hall of Science (next to Blue Express). It should be great - 30 HH Research Fellows plus about 20 more participants from different programs.
In writing my application for the program, I had initially thought I might want to get involved in behavioral studies, hence my job working with the mice. However, while the line between biology and psychology is certainly interesting, after some exposure in the West lab, which deals strictly on a molecular scale, I think I may enjoy that equally as much, if not more. I am hoping in the course of my three years left at Duke to make the most of the time I have and to take advantage of the wide range of research opportunities in search of that one area of biology I will spend my life absorbed in. And if that doesn’t work out I suppose I can always fall back on one of my many previous dream jobs, though hopefully I won’t end up as a clown.
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however, after running the number through Excel and making LOTS of graphs, we think there may be a difference in the knockout mice’s activity levels during the day versus at night.