Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of neurological impairment and can lead to comorbidities such as behavioral deficits and cognitive delay. The resident immune cell; microglia, engages in the crucial role of the immune response to neuroinflammation by attacking foreign pathogens and clearing myelin debris after axonal shearing. Following TBI, some microglia have been observed to form “rod-like” structures with their function and purpose remaining understudied. Herein, we sought to characterize the association of rod microglia formation through induced demyelination by the administration of Cuprizone, a copper chelating agent. I was mainly responsible for conducting image analysis and PCR on three cohorts of mice: P2rx7 antagonist male, STING female knockout, and STING male knockout. P2rx7 antagonist was utilized as activation of the P2x7 receptor has been characterized with enhanced inflammation. STING; stimulator of interferon genes, plays an important role in the innate immune system. For each cohort, I stained for rod microglia utilizing Iba-1, immune cells utilizing Cd45, and myelin with MBP on the EVOS machine at 10x resolution. I utilized the confocal machine for its Z-stacks for higher resolution when staining for phagocytes and microglia utilizing Iba-1 and Cd68. RNA isolation utilizing our Trizol protocol was executed to make cDNA for use in PCR analysis, utilizing genes that we have signified as inflammatory markers for traumatic brain injury such as Ccl4, Cd11c, Cd14, Cd68, Clec7a, Cx3cr1, H2eb1, Irf7, P2rx7, and Tnf.
I think the most valuable part of my research experience this summer was personal growth through independence/integrity. I believe that I really benefited from doing my own experiments and data analysis as it allows me to see the entire process through from start to finish which allows me to create my own interpretations of what discoveries I have made. Some of the data that I received was hard to interpret and was unclear what my conclusions would be but talking to the rest of the research team who has been extremely supportive of me allowed me to think things through a different lens to formulate new ideas. I learned a lot about myself over the summer and I think the most important thing I learned is that if I am passionate and curious, it makes the entire process much better with a higher chance of success.
I used to look at my role as a researcher as a “job” or an obligation but once I changed my mindset by diving deep into why I am doing what I am doing, my curiosity and genuine thirst for knowledge allowed me to push through and even made the entire process fun, there were days when I forget that this is a responsibly as I treat it as a passion and learning experience. The project has ultimately helped me truly understand the important role of research from a broader perspective and has helped me acknowledge that the work we do has the potential to change the world and that in itself is something worth working for. Over time, I have not only earned more appreciation for research and its meticulous processes but also a greater comprehension of the entire story as each step in a procedure, from cutting brain slices to the final representative graph being made is all interwoven and must be performed with attention to detail. I have learned to not only master these skills but to also ensure that I consistently perform them with the highest attention to detail while connecting them to big-picture ideas such as which neural processes are most affected post traumatic brain injury or what the real role of demyelination play in the morphology of rod microglia; questions that I continue to seek answers for.
The summer provided me with more consistent and personal interactions with my PI, graduate students, and other undergraduate students which helped further strengthen my confidence in myself and my responsibilities in the lab. I felt like since I was going into the lab 5 days a week for the entirety of summer, it allowed me to establish more consistent relationships with those around me, making me feel a sense of support and community. Regardless of my actual progress in my project, I felt a sense of more personal awareness of the lab and its overarching goal in the medical and clinical world as the dots started to all connect. It can be easy sometimes to get caught up in the immediate goals or tasks at hand but once I opened my eyes and began to look at the long-term goals of what the lab is trying to achieve in the context of real-world applications, it changed the way I looked at myself and my role as an undergraduate research assistance in looking at things in perspective.
Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or
two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your
academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.
I think the above changes are valuable because though they were formed from my experiences in the research lab, the overall skills and lessons that I have learned can be and will be applied to situations beyond an academic setting in my everyday life. I’ve learned so much regarding essential life skills such as leadership and responsibility from doing things on my own and doing my best to pay attention to all aspects of my project; things that I also regularly incorporate into everyday life whether it be in classes or with my friends. Experiences such as research go beyond what anyone can teach you as I believe the best way to learn is going through those experiences on your own and learning from your mistakes. I felt my maturity and overall knowledge greatly grow throughout this summer once I committed to the project and myself and it paid off massively. I have used this momentum to establish consistency in my day-to-day life and strike a balance between school, friends, and taking care of myself; all of which I have been able to achieve due to the discipline that I have learned through my experience this summer. I hope to use this as I study for the MCAT and apply to medical school. Overall, STEP, my summer research project, and my overall growth have all coincided together and I humbly believe I have become a better person because of it. I greatly appreciate STEP’s support throughout the years and I look forward to seeing other projects and presenting my work at the upcoming STEP expo.
