Upon arriving for my second day working with the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Pathology Group I was excited to learn more about the projects I was introduced to yesterday. I returned to my cubicle, now broken-in and sufficiently cozy, and I began to read about some of the proteins I looked at yesterday with a post-doctoral fellow at the ten-headed microscope. Three of the proteins were CD45, S129 (alpha-synuclein), and GP91 (Nox2). CD45 is a type of protein tyrosine phosphatase involved with antigen receptor signaling for two different cell types. As of now, it is understood that CD45, and protein tyrosine phosphatases in general, can either act as inhibitors or activators in tumor growth. S129 is thought to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease, and GP91 is a key binding protein in the NADPH-oxidase, which is involved with phagocytosis in neutrophils, or the process of killing harmful pathogens that enter the body. After researching for a couple of hours, I joined Dr. Cynthia Wilson for a discussion about veterinary pathology, and about an upcoming project in the NTP pathology group regarding the potential negative effects of a popular chemical used in food production. After lunch, I traveled with Dr. Malarkey to an adjunct NIEHS and NTP building for a meeting to discuss and present the findings of one the first cell phone radiation studies in the broader project. The study focused on the changes of gene expression in rats and mice after exposure to various amounts of CDMA or GSM microwaves in three different organs. Returning back to the main NIEHS building with new topics of research, I ended my day with a deeper understanding of histology, or the study of microscopic tissues, which I was introduced to yesterday. I also developed a highly amateur ability to identify different tumors, such as carcinoma or schwannoma, under in organ slices. Additionally, I have begun to grasp some of the complexities of the research conducted by the NTP pathology group and even discuss my own conclusions with the scientists.