Yarrr, I reckon that it is time for yet another blog post. By know, yee may be asking how my voyage on the Pluteus went, and I would say that it was an eventful Saturday morning that I will remember for years to come. We all had layered up thick and sat around for a hearty breakfast before we set sail into the Northeast Pacific by the wee hours of 8 AM. The ocean waves were relentless and kept pushing hard against our vessel and left more than half our crew with seasickness. I was one of the fortunate ones that managed keep their sea legs on throughout the entire trek. Nevertheless, once we had gone out deep enough, we would try to release our trawl to catch critters dwelling at the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, we kept ending up empty-handed until our boom had broken down along with our will to stay out in the ocean any longer. On the way back, the few of us left standing were able to awe at the passing coastal scenery. Although it may not had been the most fruitful venture, it provided me with a tangible reminder that voyages, including scientific ones, don’t always go according to plan—even with the most thorough planning. You always hope for the best, but plan for the worst. The following week, my lab mate and I were able to carry out much of our standard operating procedures that were taught to us from the earlier week. We would extract DNA from the samples collected in Panama by Dr. Maslakova and her colleagues; soon afterwards we would run these samples through PCR in order to amplify the gene of interest; troubleshoot the samples that had a weak/absent amplification; then have the sample ready for sequencing if there were no longer problems; and then begin to learn how to analyze sequences we received them back. At first it was very intimidating having so much independence and having to deal with such sensitive samples (i.e., there was only a limited supply and could easily be contaminated). However, it was comforting knowing that I was given enough credibility to carry out these procedures without direct supervision and be able to mature at my own pace. Admittedly I did fumble around at first and I made a lot of clumsy mistake, but I was able to realize the mistakes that I did make at each step and always did my best to correct rising issues. As I kept repeating the same procedure ad infinitum, I began to relax more and more and fall into a smoother routine. Before I knew it, a procedure that took me an entire day, only took me a morning. Words can not even begin to describe how gratifying it has been to see myself having grown so much in my time here. At first, I felt overwhelmed by all the procedures, but I have learned to appreciate each and every step. I wholeheartedly appreciate patience of my stand-in mentor Christina, and my lab mate Megan for making this a safe and welcoming environment for me to thrive in. There have also been so much cool things look at around here! Check out this sea urchin!
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Allow me to introduce myself to all yee computer goers. My name is Adrian Garcia, I just finished up my time at community college and will be attending the University of California, Davis where I will further my studies as a Genetics & Genomics major. I am absolutely thrilled to be spending my summer at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology campus where I will have the great opportunity of being able to take part in Svetlana Maslakova’s ongoing research in assessing and describing the diversity of nermerteans of the Caribbean using DNA-barcoding. I am looking forward to gaining knee-deep exposure to a myriad of molecular techniques and occasionally getting my hands dirty in field work along the way. Thus far, my first week has been the most welcoming week that a lad like myself could hope for. Many laughs have been had amongst my fellow REUs, its been very exciting going through each of the mentor’s laboratories, and the food has been top notch! The local area offers an unparallel opportunity in being able to explore with newly made friends, go for a morning run, or go on a nature walk with a cup of top-grade local artisanal coffee. Within a stone’s throw from the dorms are a beach volleyball court, a foosball table and a patch of grass which I, along with the rest of the REUs have made great use of. In short, the faculty, staff, campus, and fellow REU’s have made this such an enjoyable first week. I feel at ease and am able to focus in on the research and get to enjoy the trip that I am about to embark on. As a lifelong Southern Californian, I could not imagine a much more different summer experience than the one I am experiencing now. However, I intend to make the most of my research opportunity (and cooler weather) before I head off to university.
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AuthorI’m a first-generation college student. I like enjoying the outdoors and finding new hiking trails. Archives
August 2019
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