Today was the last day of the work experience program. This morning I helped dilute some client samples and sat in on an internal research and development meeting. I went to Chipotle for lunch. In the afternoon I learned more about the drying process and watched a makeshift fluidized bed being made and constructed. Overall, today was really interesting. I am really sad today was the last day of the work experience program.
Today was rather relaxing. In the morning I helped prep some SEC samples and I helped clean the lab. Cleaning the lab didn’t take as long as I expected, and was surprisingly relaxing. This afternoon I learned about chemical engineering, and messed around with dry ice.
I’m very excited to see what will happen tomorrow, but I also wish the program was longer. So far I have really enjoyed work experiencing at Lindy Biosciences. I have learned a lot about science and product development, as well as the business aspects of the start-up.
Today was really interesting. I rehydrated and analyzed the ovalbumin I microglassified using the UV spectrometer, and tried using the Karl Fisher machine. I also got photographed as part of the documentation of the work experience program. In the afternoon I was able to compare the UV spectrometer data from the microglassified ovalbumin to the data from rehydrated freeze dried ovalbumin. As part of this analysis I learned about standard deviation and how to add it to excel graphs. I also learned about calculating error and how errors propagate through equations. Today was really cool, as I was able to learn about the different tools researchers and scientists use to analyze data.
Today, I finally got to try Microglassifying a protein. I mocroglassified ovalbumin, a protein found in eggs. It was really cool, but a little stressful. Afterwards I was able to look at the microglassified protein under a microscope.
I also found out why teachers tell you to never measure liquids with a beaker or flask. One of the large flasks in the lab (it was a 4 liter flask) had completely wrong volume lines. Although the 2000ml mark was correct, the following lines were completely wrong. Overall today was very exciting and filled with new experiences.
Today was pretty exciting. I did more UV spectroscopy as well as gas spectroscopy. I also learned about the columns used in size exclusion chromatography and how the different dimensions (length and width) affect the resolution and length of time it takes to analyze a sample. I really enjoyed practicing the things I learned previously and learning new information about the equipment in the lab.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first week at Lindy Biosciences. I have really enjoyed learning about all the different pieces of equipment and processes that are used in their lab. I also really like learning about the business and marketing side of research. Even though there are not many people at the company, I feel like I have been able to learn a lot about all the different parts of start-up companies as well as product development.
This morning a pipette vender came and talked about the benefits of the pipette tips he was selling. It was very interesting to hear about all the technology that goes into the basic lab equipment that scientists use every day. Later today I rehydrated the ovalbumin I previously microglass-ified and analyzed it with UV spectroscopy and prepared it for size-exclusion chromatography. Although I did not do much today, at least compared to yesterday, I enjoyed being able to practice UV spectroscopy and learning about size-exclusion chromatography.
Today was the first day of the work experience program. I went to Lindy Biosciences, a development-stage protein therapeutic formulations company, located in the Research Triangle Park. This company is a two year old start up with novel Microglassification^TM technology.
While Microglassification is a very long and complex word, their technology involves dehydrating proteins into a stable bead shaped solid. Proteins normally contain a large quantality of water which increases their weight. Microglassification removes much of this water resulting in a fine power.
Normally during drug delivery large amounts of proteins require delivery through an IV; however, Microglassification allows solid protein “balls” to be injected with a needle subcutaneously (under the skin). This would allow patients to receive medicine as a quick shot instead of a long IV treatment.
After only two years, Lindy Biosciences have an impressive list of clients, containing some of the top pharmaceutical companies. I can’t wait to continue my internship and get to help in their lab tomorrow.
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I was thrilled to work in the Lindy Biosciences lab for the first time. Today I learned how to use a UV spectrometer. I found the standard curve of ovalbumin. I had been recommended before the start of this program, by actual biological researchers, that I should get experience working in a lab. After working in a lab all day, I can say with some measure of confidence that I do not hate lab work.
The spectroscopy was very repetitive (I had 17 samples I needed to analyze), but it was also quite exciting. After lunch, I was able to see the results of the analysis and it was very gratifying. Adam was able to find the extinction coefficient of the samples of ovalbumin at a particular wavelength based off of my results. I was very happy to hear that I did not have to redo the analysis and the results were helpful.
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
Today was full of learning new techniques and exciting experiments. Dr. Bermek and I spent the first half of the morning discussing the experiments she still had to complete before her paper about the Herpes Simplex virus could be written. We decided to perform an experiment that could potentially lead to never seen before results. There is a shape of DNA that people have not been able to get, but with the protein UL8 we have been working with, Dr. Bermek wondered if this protein could help make the DNA shape because UL8 relaxes DNA and creates a nicked structure. Dr. Bermek wasn’t super optimistic we would get results but she wanted to try anyway. A large experiment like the one we were about to do calls for a lot of controls because, if it works, we want to make sure we know exactly what helped create the desired DNA shape. We set up 7 reactions that each included or didn’t include a specific ingredient. For example, one sample didn’t have UL8 but had UL30. The reason is because there has been speculation that UL30 might cause DNA to become nicked, so we wanted to have it as an option, but if it worked, we wanted to make sure that it was the UL30 protein that caused the DNA shape not the UL8.
Dr. Bermek had me make the master mix which is basically a large volume of ingredients that needed to be added to each reaction. It is used to save time and eliminate unwanted errors. I was happy she trusted me enough to make it. The timing of the preparation of the samples was overwhelming and difficult. We had four different timers going all for different things. We had to add specific ingredients to some of the seven samples but not others in addition to making sure the timing was perfect. Some samples had to be heated for five minutes others had to be heated for 30, and there were other parts of the experiment that required keeping a close eye on the time. Dr. Bermek and I had a good system going to help everything run smoothly. She would take the samples out the hot water bath and give them to me so I could pipette the ingredients in. She would then put the samples back in the hot water bath to continue heating them. While she was working with radioactive materials, I prepared two Agarose gels. I measured out the Agarose, added the TAE or TBE buffer, dissolved the Agarose for 2 minutes and 15 seconds, let the mixture cool, and then poured the gel liquid into the apparatus to let it settle. This time, Dr. Bermek loaded the samples into the gel because some of them were radioactive and required special precautions. I didn’t trust myself enough to load after we had spent about 3 hours preparing the samples.
While the gel was running we prepared grids for the EM that we would use tomorrow. When I first used grids last week, they were already prepared so I was glad I got to see the full process today. There was a special solution we poured over the mesh where our grids would be housed. Once the mesh was completely submerged in the liquid, we carefully placed the grids one by one on the mesh making sure they stuck. I got to help Dr. Bermek with this step, and I really liked the precise nature of it. Then came the coolest part: adding the Parlodion. Parlodion is used to coat the gel grids so they can be used in the EM. The coolest thing was when we added a few drops of it to the solution that the mesh was in, it created a rainbow colored layer over the grids. I was really fascinated.
By the time we had finished the UL8 experiment and set up the grids, they day was just about over. Even though we may not get the results that weren’t likely to happen, I’m excited to see what the gel image and EM show us tomorrow on my last day working with Dr. Bermek.
The gel that contains radioactive material getting run behind a protective shield.
Getting ready to add the Parlodion.
The cool rainbow effect of the Parlodion.
The Agarose gel I set up.
Our designed experiment plans for the day.