March 17, 2017
Back in late October, I was invited to attend the mGluR’s (Midwest/Greatlakes Undergranduate Research Symposium) neuroscience conference being hosted at Ohio State. Components of the symposium included sessions of poster presentations as well as three verbal presentations of undergraduate research given to a live audience. One such presenter was Sydney Atkins who is a graduating senior in Dr. Obrietan’s lab at Ohio State. She gave a fantastic presentation on her research of the CREB gene and its role in circadian rhythm dependent learning, and afterwards, I approached her to further discuss her research and ask about the lab she worked in. After she explained her research, I decided to email Dr. Obrietan and ask about applying for a position in his lab and was welcomed to join as an undergraduate research assistant.
I began working in the lab at the start of the second semester, working closely with a senior undergraduate student, Ashley, and a graduate student, Kaitlin Snider. In the ensuing months, I have learned a variety of lab techniques including running PCR’s, digesting and purifying DNA, running gel electrophoresis, and handeling lab mice. I thoroughly enjoy lab work, and have been truly excited to learn about the research that takes place in the lab. There are a number of projects being conducted by everyone from the PI to graduate students to the undergraduate assistants. The work mainly explores genes that link biological clocks in the brain to patterns in learning and memory through bio rhythms and gene expression. I currently work on a number of these projects, mainly assisting in genotyping the transgenic mice.
Unfortunately, in early February, I broke my right hand and have been unable to as much as put a glove on since. Rather than making me take a hiatus, the graduate student I work with offered me a research project for which I could write a grant while my hand was healing. The research project involves the study of the CREB gene and its influence on which neurons are selected in memory formation. The project will involve a fear paradigm and immunohistochemistry to identify the neurons that fire and their genetic expression. While I can’t apply for the grant until fall of 2017, I have been able to focus my efforts on writing it and designing my project while waiting for my hand to heal.
It is now nearing the end of spring break, and, upon returning to school, I shall finally have full use of my right hand. I will be able to return to my normal work in the lab while continuing to work on writing my grant, and I am more than excited to be back doing what I love.