Week 10 Final Post-PK

YAY!~ wow... it's I can't believe summer is over and my EXP experience comes to close. So sad, but it was extremely fun, interesting, and overall, great! 

I assume I won't be going back to the lab regularly, but I still have to analyze the data and come up with a conclusion. I actually had to go back to the lab for one extra day to get the software to analyze the data. I expect I will be going back so that Teuta can help me with my conclusion.

So ever since the last day, I could never tell whether Teuta actually like me or not... I guess that's something I shouldn't be writing. Well, whatever. On the planned last day, I brought in bubble tea to the lab right after lunch. Everyone minus my PI, Josh, wanted one (apparently they like it more than doughnuts)! Then Teuta said something along these lines: Preston, you can come back again! You're very useful... and you bring nice treats!~

LOLOL after working in the lab for over 400 hours, all I'm good for is bringing the lab treats. Hahahaa

jkjk Teuta has complimented me quite a few times over the past two years. It's just that the way she said that was funny. 

Well, I doubt I'm gonna spend 3 summers working in Dr. Joshua Shaevitz's lab, so I'd like to thank him so much. Not many would take a short, pimply sophomore kid in their lab for two summers. He and Teuta really made a huge difference to my experience. Also, I'd like to thank Teuta and the other members of the Shaevitz group. The environment was extremely pleasant and I had a great time working with and next to all of them. Once again, I'd like thank them all SOOOOOoooooo much for making my past two summers a great experience. 

Wait... I don't think any of them are going to read this... whatever~

Anyways, this is my last post (if you didn't get the hint from the title), and I'd just like to say EXP was expecially awesome!

Peace!~

-PK

Week 9 Post 2 -PK

Lahh only 3 more days!~ I'm so excited yet sad. I'm excited because I'm almost done with all of my trials. I'm sad because, well I'm almost done working in Shaevitz's lab. Hahahaaa I mixed feelings seem very weird when explaining them.

So everything I've done up till now essentially was just gathering data. I haven't had any time to analyze it really. I did a little bit in July I think, but while I'm in school. I have to do that. So I still have yet to download the software for analyzing and plotting the data. That always seems like it's a problem huh? The truth is I'm technically not supposed to get ANY software since all of it belongs to Princeton and I'm not a student. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a "visitor". If I didn't make it clear in my other post, I'm very sad. I get the same status of a 1-day visitor despite working in a lab for 10 weeks, walking in and out of signs that say "restricted access" (or something like that), and walking through doors that require a swipe of a key card! Plus, when I buy food from the campus center, I get charged tax :'(
So coming back from my digression, I will be getting the program I use for analyzing the data on Monday. On  Tuesday, I learn how to use it. On Wednesday, I use it a bit and ask Teuta a lot of questions. Then for the next month, I'm supposed to plot, analyze, and interpret the data all by myself. Hopefully I'll be able to come to the lab during some days in September to get help, but the vast majority of it is going to be done by myself. Truthfully, this is going to be a huge challenge for me. One because I don't know statistics very well. Two, I don't know biology very well, so I may not have the best interpretations. Three, essentially I have to teach myself this program. Four, I have a bunch of other stuff going on in September that I'm supposed to do.

But so far, I think I'm going to be getting enough data to be meaningful. Data is data, but meaningful data is better. We'll see. Only 3 days left and nothing major broken. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but we'll see.

Oh and apparently someone in the lab is working with Cholera so now whenever he's in the lab, I have to wear a lab coat. No one else does... just me :(

Peace~

-PK

Week 3-PK

Let me start off with an apology... I was way too lazy and tired this week to write two posts. I'm sorry. 
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A lot has happened this week. I got a Princeton Net ID so I can work at home! That makes me feel a little bit better after having been reduced to a VISITOR. However, I can't actually work at home. I'm gonna try to figure this problem out, but as of now, I still can't access the programs and the websites I need to when I'm connected to a different network other than the Princeton wireless. Speaking of programs, I was able to download ImageJ, but I still am not allowed to get Labview. I might be able to get a CD that installs it from another lab, but that's unlikely.
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So throughout this week, I've been practicing and learning how to do the whole procedure safely. The biggest problem is not setting up the experiment, but setting up the optical trap. It is literally the most expensive equipment in the lab, and obviously, no one would want a  mere high schooler to be touching that unless that high schooler knows what he's doing. Thus, I've been slowly been learning each step, such as what to turn on and initialize, what settings to turn everything to, what order I press the many buttons. Surprisingly, even where to save all the data points is a bit confusing at first. Thank goodness I'm good with computers, 'cuz if I wasn't, it would take me a long time to get just this part of the procedure correct.
Recently (as in just yesterday), I experienced the largest obstacle in [is that the right idiom?] the way of me becoming one of the top three ophthalmologists in NY/NJ (one of my many life-long goals xP ). So there is this one part of the procedure that requires UBERLY steady hands and... I learned that my stead hands aren't too steady. :( I need some more practice. Instead of macro-movements, I should do something that requires small movements. Something like... model making! I think... v?v
http://www.showcasemodels.com/resources/E1/3297/picture/08/16967432.jpg
or maybe those anime ones :D
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I got really disappointed one day. I don't know if others have the same problems, but on Tuesday (I think), I basically wasted that whole day. This is because I incubated the E. coli too long. Then, the population grew to a different stage in the growth curve. Because we want to see the response of E. coli at a specific phase in their growth curve, I couldn't use that flask of E. coli. AND, it was too late to make another flask :( I wasted a WHOLE day :'(
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I've done a ton of things that I wouldn't have expected I would need to learn how to do. For example, I learned how to check if a pipette is working precisely as it's supposed to. Also, I've learned how to autoclave various things. It's been a pretty chill experience so far, but I imagine as the experiment moves on, it'll get busier. I also am able to analyze the data, but just a cursory glance suggests that I might need to switch strains due to the lack of interesting things.
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Peace~
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-PK

2nd Week Part 2 --PK

Alright. A lot of good news, and some bad too.
Bad news: I almost broke a micropippette that costs 300 dollars.
Good news: I almost broke a micropippete, but caught it like a ninja.
Bad news: Teuta (my supervisor) saw that the micropippette slipped out of my hand due to carelessness.
Good news: Teuta saw my lightnin' fast reflexes and good coordination.
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Yea, so I was doing the first half of the procedure for the experiment all by myself when Teuta called my name. I had a 200uL pippette in my hand right before she called my name. After my name was called, it wasn't in my hand. I quickly squatted and grabbed the pippette right before it hit the ground. Before that Teuta always thought that I was uncoordinated and kept saying that I should do some yoga/ballet. =.=''' Not any more! I was so happy (most scared actually) that I caught the pippette. Thank goodness I play enough computer games so my average reaction time is less than .2 seconds. :P
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Okay so I've been doing really well with the first half of the procedure, and so Teuta started showing me the second part. Although she's been really hard on how I do things (don't lean, make sure this doesn't touch that, etc.) she actually complimented me. Yay! The optical trap has been fixed, so I can start on my experiment again. The problem was never really diagnosed; the machine just magically fixed itself one day. Pretty cool.
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Yesterday, the undergraduate, who is doing a similar project to mine for his Senior Thesis, and I cleaned out some beakers that had "dangerous" bacteria in it. We had to wear lab coats. Since I don't stand or sit completely erect, I look more like I'm 5'5'' than 5'7''. The undergraduate is like 5'4''. The labcoats were long... they went past our shorts. It literally looked as if we were wearing the labcoats as a dress. Hahaa Everyone in the lab took one look at us and chuckled. Haha I'm actually taller than some of them!
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Alright so basically, my average day is pretty boring. This is because I haven't obtained the correct programs to analyze the data. So whenever I have time that is designated for analyzing data, I'm watching movies and reading books. I just got my Princeton Badge, so hopefully, I can obtain some programs in the near future. I really need to get started and analyzing my data. Oh one more bad thing, despite the fact that I'm supposed to be paid 10 dollars an hour and by the end of the summer, I would have worked in the same lab for more than 500 hours, my Princeton Badge fridgin' says VISITOR in big, bold font. :'( wahhhh
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Oh almost forgot the best news of all, by the end of  next week, I should be able to run the entire procedure all by myself. I am so happy and excited. I finally get to feel like a researcher. (Instead of being babied and stuff... which I probably still will be [my PI called me a toddler hahaa])
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PS. I brought in doughnuts and everyone was very happy. Maybe next time I'll bring in bubble tea. After all, half of the researchers are Chinese. Lawl

Peace~

-PK