Even though it was the last day of my WEP, I still learned so much. Dr. Bermek and I had our usual morning meeting to discuss our plans for the day. We briefly talked about our gel from yesterday that unfortunately didn’t work, but that was what we were expecting. We decided to run an EtBr experiment that had been successful again because we wanted a better direct comparison. The samples we compared last time on the EM and on a gel were from different experiments, so this time, we prepared a larger amount of each sample so we could split them in half. We planned to analyze half the sample in the EM and half the sample on an Agarose gel to get the most accurate results. I was familiar with this experiment, and we already knew it worked, so it seemed to run very smoothly. I was also nice to have 7 days of experience under my belt. While Dr. Bermek was getting other things started, she had me add all the necessary ingredients to microfuge tubes. I added 50uL of Tris, 10uL of BSA, 25uL of NaCl, and varying amounts of water to each sample.
During the middle of the day, I presented what I had learned over my past two weeks the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center to four other people in the lab. It was a nice end to my wonderful two-week experience. I was happy to get feedback from Dr. Berkmek’s other collaborators.
After my presentation, there were still 30 minutes left before the end of the day. Dr. Bermek is a very hard worker, and she likes to take advantage of every minute she has, so we got right back to work. I started getting the grids ready so they could be drop spreaded and put into the EM. Once I was finished with that, I prepared my last Agarose gel with success! And just like that my work experience was over. It finished on a high note with a good presentation and a successful gel. I cannot even explain how much I learned by immersing myself in a lab setting. Although the experience was a little daunting at first, I am really glad I got this unique opportunity. I would like to thank Dr. Bermek for her continued patience as I was learning and making mistakes. Her warm personality is really what made this experience so enjoyable. I’m really thankful for all the lessons I got to learn, and I’m ready for summer!
The facinating -80 degree freezer
The EtBr samples I prepared
Our calculations and plans
The grids I prepared for the EM