LAB AND FIELD PROFICIENCIES
Microscope Techniques
Having taken Microbiology Lab, I have learned a lot about the proper use of a microscope. From home to properly clean it, to how to find specimens to examine underneath it, one of my favorite things to do has always been using microscopes to a view a world otherwise unseen. Through my experience, I have found many a bacteria after staining under the lens of a microscope. I have also had the opportunity to use microscopes in Immunology lab to view and count epithelial cells. More recently I've been using a microscope to view electrodes and potentially cells to perform patch-clamp technique in Dr. Overholt's Investigation and Research lab.
The actual goal of this is to find and choose a cell, bring the electrode to the cell and gently place the tip of the electrode on the cell's surface with lysing it. If done correctly this will form a sort of seal between the cell membrane and the tip of the electrode. Finding the electrode and cell under the microscope and having them touch is one of the hardest things I have ever done. In fact, I have yet to successfully do it. I was sure it was impossible until Dr. Overholt did it without breaking a sweat. It goes without saying, I've smashed a lot of electrodes on the bottom on the slide in an attempt to do this.
"Even though I've destroyed many an electrode in failed attempts to find them, it's amazing the beauty that can come from it."
"As the broken glass settles at the bottom of the slide inside the water, light from the microscope reflects off the glass, creating what I like to call: The Electrode Graveyard."
Making Solutions
Taking courses like Cell Biology Lab, and Genetics lab I've had a lot of experience in making different kinds of solutions necessary for running experiments. From gels to extracellular solutions, I've played a role in their creations. In the end, successfully making a solution, for whatever purpose all comes down to components in the proper proportion. These proportions can be figured out with a little math, and some measuring,
"Doing the calculations and making the extracellular solutions are actually my favorite things to do."
Creating Electrodes
This skill was only just recently acquired in Dr. Overholt's Investigation and Research Lab. As previously stated, electrodes are vital and delicate instruments used in Dr. Overholt's research for contact with the cell membrane. It is actually used to send currents to the cell. This is the patch clamp technique. Although I am not particularly good at this technique yet, I am very skilled at making and fire polishing electrodes for the use of the patch-clamp technique. The electrode itself is very small. At the very tip, there must a hole that's large enough to send these currents though. To create a good seal between the electrode tip and the cell, the electrode must be smoothed to perfection before it can be used.
"You would first load the electrode glass into the machine and use the correct settings. The machine then pulls the electode glass apart, creating two rough electrodes."
"Then you load one of the newly created electrodes into the microscope and line the electrode up to the loop. This loop heats up when the pedal is pressed. You have to keep a close eye on the tip of the electrode in the microscope to be sure the tiny hole isn't melted closed by the loop. Then the electrode becomes unusable."
Gel Electrophoresis
In Cell Biology Lab, we ran multiple gels, in an attempt to separate macromolecules. We created the gels, waited for them to solidify, loaded them and waited for them to run. Unfortunately, I do not remember under what context we ran them, or what exactly we were looking for. However I managed to find a result from a run by myself and my lab partner, and the rest of the class.
