Month: June 2024

Nolan Dwenger STEP Reflection

I participated in an undergraduate research opportunity under Dr. Linda Weavers where I have been investigating the use of low power ultrasound for the mitigation of harmful algal blooms in reservoirs, in addition to also studying nano-bubble ozone technology; which is an emerging harmful algal bloom mitigation method.

My experience working on the research projects that I was able to take part in have influenced the trajectory of my academic and professional career. Through my familiarization with the general workings of the world of academic research, I found myself particularly interested in pursuing a graduate degree so as to be allowed the opportunity to contribute to a project in a more significant way that would allow me to take more lead and responsibility. Overall, this has allowed me to think more about the paths I can pursue in the future and how I can best put myself in a situation to have these opportunities available.

It is difficult to point to specific events throughout my experience in my research lab that have resulted in my passion for research moving forward. I have generally enjoyed the experience as a whole; I am interested in the work I am doing and what we as a lab are working towards. Working with scientific data from its collection, to its analysis, to its interpretation, to its presentation has been a process that I have found immensely satisfying and fulfilling.

As of recently, I have been partaking in weekly field work, where I go to a local water quality company to sample various sites within their reservoirs. Then, throughout the week, I will compile and analyze the collected data, which I will then present on to the lab every so often. Being able to experience this array of facets that encompass academic research is something I have discovered I value greatly, and I am incredibly grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to do so.

Earlier this year, my lab made a trip to Stonelab for almost a week where we conducted water trials in mesocosms prepared on lake Erie. Working in a somewhat large team on this nearly week-long experiment was something I had never been able to experience before. Working with other people who were similarly passionate about the project and significantly more knowledgeable about the field was enlightening and incredibly fun; even if we all had to sleep in an incredibly warm, rather dingy bunk room for the week. After the experiment, being able to look at all the data we had collected and seeing how the various aspects were interpreted was inspiring.

Participating in this undergraduate research opportunity has been a transformative experience that significantly shaped my academic and professional aspirations. Through this hands-on involvement, I gained firsthand insights into the process of scientific inquiry and problem-solving within environmental engineering. This experience not only deepened my understanding of the field as a whole, but inspired me to pursue questions and contribute to the advancement of knowledge within it.

 

My decision to pursue a graduate degree and lead a project of my own stems from a desire to take on greater challenges and to make a meaningful impact in my chosen field. Graduate education will provide me with this opportunity.. Moreover, leading a project will allow me to hone my leadership abilities, collaborate with peers and mentors, and develop solutions to complex problems. Ultimately, these experiences will prepare me to contribute effectively to academia, industry, or whichever path I choose to pursue in the future, aligning with my overarching goal of making a positive difference through scholarly and practical contributions within the field of environmental engineering.

STEP Experience: Validating Pathogenic/Likely Pathogenic Mutations in Kidney Cancer Patients

1. I analyzed the samples of kidney cancer patients seen at the Wexner Medical Center and validated whether or not a pathogenic or likely pathogenic genetic mutation may have caused their cancer. I did this by designing DNA primers, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and analyzing the results of Sanger Sequencing while working in Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Rahman’s molecular genetics lab.

Me working in the lab

2. One thing that I have struggled with throughout my academic career is confidence in myself and trust in my work. I am pleased to say that this STEP Signature Project allowed me to explore a side of my education that I never thought would be possible and allowed me to gain confidence. A laboratory environment was foreign to me, and when I first stepped in to learn my protocols I was easily overwhelmed. Prior to this experience, the only traditional laboratory experience I had was through chemistry classes at Ohio State University. Those classes were struggles for me and I had a hard time keeping up with my peers in the lab class. 

However, with each day I entered the lab and completed my experiments, my uneasiness drifted away. I quickly started to love coming into the lab after I successfully completed my experiments with little to no errors. I remember struggling in the organic chemistry lab to create a product that was as pure as my peers. Successfully amplifying a DNA sequence and correctly analyzing the bases to see exactly where a mutation was located grew my confidence exponentially. I am now eager to explore more lab classes and lab opportunities. 

3. As I shared in prompt 2, my confidence grew after successfully completing each experiment. I was not perfect from the start, however. Going through the protocol for the first time was not easy. The hardest part for me was designing the DNA primers necessary to amplify the DNA sequence in the PCR step. This required going to a variety of different online databases. I had a particularly hard time designing a DNA primer for my area of interest in the ATM gene. This was due to the forward and reverse primers not fitting the criteria required for a successful primer. Many of the primers I discovered were too far away from my target sequence or contained an Adenine or Thymine at the beginning and end of their sequence. DNA contains four bases: Cytosine, Guanine, Adenine, and Thymine. Cytosine and Guanine are the preferred bases to have at the beginning and end of a primer due to their three hydrogen bonds compared to Adenine and Thymine’s two, weaker, hydrogen bonds.

One of my lab mentors, Maha, served as a great resource to me during this time and throughout the time of my project. I worked with her to choose a primer that we thought would have the best chance of annealing to our samples’ DNA sequence. It was a relief to see that my sequence was amplified successfully, especially after struggling for so long to find a promising primer. After seeing the successful amplification of the sequence through gel electrophoresis, it was time for me to submit my samples for Sanger Sequencing. Maha warned me that many times this part of an experiment may need to be repeated. Knowing this, I took great care in completing the enzymatic clean-up and additional amplification of my samples. When the submission results came back the next day perfectly clear not only was Maha in awe, but so was I.

As I have shared, Maha was a great resource for me throughout this project. She was working in the same lab as me and served as someone I could ask questions. With each successful completion of my project, she would cheer for me. It was her excitement and encouragement that truly helped me build my confidence. I could see that I was doing great work on my own, and I was proud of that. However, knowing that someone else was excited and proud of me truly allowed me to understand that the work I was doing was difficult and that each success deserved an increase in confidence.

The results of the ATM gene that I struggled to design a primer for. There were two samples with a mutation. Sample ABDE-256 had a mutation in the sequence of interest and another sample, ABDE-254, had a mutation further upstream of the sequence of interest.

4. My gain in confidence and knowledge of laboratory skills are extremely valuable for me as I enter the next step of my academic career, graduate school. An additional challenge that I experienced throughout my time working in the lab on this project was being the only undergraduate present. I was working in the same lab as several post-docs and I could not help but feel insignificant at times. However, when these post-docs would ask me how my experiments were going, I was able to hold a conversation with them regarding our current projects. This aided in me feeling better about my confidence because, at the start of my project, I knew next to nothing about working in a laboratory. Being able to speak with my peers, even though they were much more educated than I was, proved to me that being in a laboratory space for a future career was something that I could achieve. Additionally, this showed me that I am prepared for graduate school. I will likely be entering a graduate program with others who may have extensive educations. Knowing that I can hold an intellectual conversation with those who may be more educated than I am shows me that I am ready to work with the variety of individuals I may meet in a graduate program.

I would also like to share that I am a first-generation college student. Never did I think that an opportunity to work in a research lab would come my way, as I was never sure that college would be a possibility. Now, at the end of my project, there are more opportunities for me out there than I once thought possible. Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Rahman has seen my hard work and has offered me a new project to complete throughout the upcoming fall semester. Additionally, he would like to work on expanding the scope of my project in the fall to explore how many of the patients whose samples I analyzed were referred to a genetic counselor for genetic testing due to their kidney cancer.