Bettini Lab Blog Collection (ALL BLOGS)
12/6/2018
Today I had my interview with Maria Bettini at the Bettini Lab in the Medical Center. I was super nervous but had a list of around ten questions to ask her in case there was an awkward moment of silence. It took us some time to find the Feign Tower in the Medical Center but we eventually did. It had a gingerbread house in the front and inside there was a gargantuan Christmas tree. The receptionist took their time in checking us in and called Dr Bettini downstairs. She was really nice and we rode up the elevator to the lab where we were then seated in her office. We began with introductions and then she explained what they work on in the lab. The majority of people that work at the lab are post-docs and they each have their own individual small question that they are working to answer throughout their time in the lab. All of these questions fall under one big theme which is Type 1 diabetes. They do most of their test work on rats but these rats are kept at a different location. I learned that I will be "shadowing" a technician who helps the lab workers prep for their experiments and research their questions. I will be starting after J - Term. Then Dr Bettini took me on a tour of the lab and it was super cool but there were a lot of tools that I have never seen before. Not many people were at the lab but I was able to meet some of the few who were there. We thanked her and said goodbye. The interview went really well and I can't wait to start!
2/20/19
Today was my first time going to my internship! I was dropped off at the Feign Tower and checked in at the front desk where they called down Dr Bettini. We rode up the elevator up to the seventh floor and she showed me around the lab. I was informed that not many lab members are at the lab early in the morning because they all work late at night. Maybe I should move my internship time to Friday afternoon so that there will be more lab action. Linda, the lab technician, then arrived. She is very nice and I observed her while she conducted a genotyping experiment. She was testing to see if the mouse DNA was positive or negative. The lab mainly works with DNA and cells of mice that are kept at their main location. They also use these mice to experiment with diabetes vaccinations such as the CFA, an injection that prevents juvenile diabetes. I then received a brief lesson on genetics that was much needed in order to grasp more knowledge on the work they do at the lab. Linda emphasized the importance of organization as the Bettini Lab is a larger lab compared to most, having 8-9 people rather than 3-4. They use spreadsheets to record their data and make sure that no one is using someone else mice. I learned that they don't use many dangerous chemicals in the lab; Ethidium Bromide is the most toxic chemical they use. This chemical is used during genotyping experiments. She then demonstrated how to use lab pipets. I practiced pipeting water from the container to container. Linda then continued Dr. Bettini's tour around the lab and also showed me around the offices. We concluded my time at the lab by prepping tips (for the pipets) for the upcoming experience. Dr Bettini told me that the next time I was there, I would get my ID. Overall It was a great first research lab experience!
2/27/19
Today I went to my internship for the second time and met Dr. Bettini downstairs. We walked across the tunnel to another building where we were going to try to get me an ID. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my ID so we are going to do that next time. When I arrived at the lab, I met with Linda and we organized some syringes. We organized these syringes by size and put them all in one place so they would be easy to find and used. Next, she gave me a quick lesson on what DNA and PCR are so I can better understand their work at the lab. I learned that PCR involves splitting DNA using enzymes and that purchasing these enzymes are super expensive. This means that the lab members have to be very precise and accurate when doing their experiments so the valuable material doesn't go to waste. She also showed me some more of the equipment that they use in experiments including a powerful dishwasher that sterilizes all of the pipet tips. After meeting some of the other members of the lab (including Dr. Bettini's husband), Linda let me practice pipeting. I asked her if photo club could come to take a few photos of me at my internship and she said it was fine with her but I should ask Dr. Bettini. However, I was running late when I left so I didn't have time to do this. Overall, the lessons on DNA and PCR were super helpful and I look forward to continuing to watch her do experiments and maybe do some of my own!
2/6/19
Today was my first day being dropped off at the midpoint between me and Carly's buildings. I made my way over to the Feign Tower, checked in at the front office, and rode the elevator to the lab with Dr Bettini. Since no lab workers were at the lab yet, Dr Bettini gave me a quick tour of the lab and offices so that I would know where to go once I got my badge. When Linda arrived, she caught me up on the experiment she was working on. Basically, the ear clippings from the mouse ears were divided into individual tubes and dissolved/broken down using enzymes. Then we cleaned the DNA using ethanol. One super cool thing we did was shake the tubes that the DNA was in and you were able to see little strands of DNA floating around. Then we put the tubes in a machine that made all of the DNA stick to the sides and bottom of the tube so that we could extract the liquid and be left with just the DNA. While we were doing this, Linda explained a variety of things including the difference between alcohol and ethanol, how each lab member has a different way of organizing their experiments, and how 3D printers could be very helpful to the scientific field. At around 10:30, we stopped work and walked over to the Abercrombie Tower using the sky bridge. I finally received my badge. Now, I will be able to use the elevators and walk around the buildings without Linda and Dr Bettini having to lead me around. I am super excited! Lastly, Linda gave me a coloring book-calendar that shows mice DNA, kidneys etc. Although I probably won't have time to color it, I look forward to learning about all of the things displayed in the calendar. Overall, I am slowly but surely coming accustomed to the routine at the lab and am excited to return after Spring Break and A-Term.
4/5/19
Today I finally went back to the lab after three weeks of Spring Break and A-Term. It was my first day with my badge so I was able to ride the elevator up and walk to the lab all by myself. I accidentally went to the wrong door but I called Dr Bettini and she came to show me the correct way. When I finally arrived, Linda wasn't at the lab yet so I filled up a container with water and practiced my pipeting skills. Once she arrived, she printed me out a procedure for the genotyping work she does at the lab. We began the genotyping experiment and, while she worked, I practiced pipeting with alcohol. Then I helped her label the small tubes that the DNA samples were going to be put which was challenging as the lids of the tubes are very small. While we waited for the tubes to finish their time in the centrifuge (a machine that spins the tubes around really fast so that all of the material is sucked to the bottom of the tube), I helped Linda clean the dishes in the lab and then we put them in a sterilizing machine. This machine is basically a really powerful dishwasher that ensures that the tubes are super clean so that they don't interfere with the experiment. Next, we continued with the experiment and I got to do the cool thing where we shake the tubes and we can see the little DNA floating around. Unfortunately, this colony did not have a lot of DNA so this process wasn't as cool as the time before. Overall, I am finally starting to understand the process of genotyping and I look forward to becoming even more familiar with the procedure as I continue with my internship!
4/10/19
(WARNING-IF YOU LOVE MICE OR GET GROSSED OUT EASILY - DON'T READ)
Today was quite an experience. As usual, I arrived at the lab before Linda and practiced my pipeting skills using water. When Linda arrived, she asked me if I wanted to go with her and Matt (Maria's husband) to the mouse facility to collect the spleen and thymus of five mice. I said I was interested and contacted Dr Lee to make sure it was okay and she told me I could go. First, we had to pack the tubes that we were going to put the thymuses and spleens (vital organs in the immune system) in once they had been extracted. We took ten clear tubes that had been filled with a pink liquid meant to keep the organs fresh (the chemicals in the liquid resembled the inside of a body). Once this was done, we took a fifteen-minute walk to the mouse facility. As we walked, Matt gave me a quick tour of the medical center and showed me which buildings were new and old, which ones belonged to Baylor College of Medicine and others. Once we got into the right building (I can't quite remember which one), we rode a very sketchy elevator to the second floor and suited up. We wore face masks, hair nets, and these marshmallow jumpsuits. The reasoning behind all of this "suiting up" is so that we don't get the mice sick. The mice in the facility have compromised immune systems meaning they are easily susceptible to sicknesses. We gathered the materials needed to conduct the dissection/surgery and walked into the room where the Bettini Lab keeps all of their mice. To say the least, it was a sight I had never seen before. If you need a visual, just imagine a small-sized library but replace all of the books with mice in clear cages. Also, it smells like Petco times 10 plus death. Linda took me with her to select the unlucky mice that we were going to collect the thymuses and spleens and took them to this small room. However, since there were around five mice in each container, we had to pull out the ones that were going to be used. After this challenging process, we put two mice in another clear container with a lid that had a tube attached to it. This tube was connected to a can of some sort of gas which was turned on. I am not sure whether all of the oxygen was sucked out of the container or if some poisonous gas was shot into the container, but the mice were killed. I mean sacrificed. Matt then took one of the dead mice out and poured ethanol on it which killed bacteria and smoothed the hair down so it wouldn't get in the way of the messy and gruesome process. Then he cut a circle around the mouse's middle so that he could slide the skin off. This was just as gross as it sounds, maybe worse. Next, he pointed out some of the organs including, the thymus, spleen, liver and heart. After the thymus and spleen were extracted and put in tubes, the mouse and its remains were tossed in a paper bag and the bloody mess was wiped away. This process was repeated four more times. The last time, Linda tried to do it but she accidentally impaled a bunch of its organs so blood was everywhere. When we finally left, I didn't really know how I felt. Actually, that's a lie. I was definitely grossed out, in need of fresh air, and slightly traumatized. While I did feel bad for killing all of the mice, Linda explained how their deaths will greatly contribute to furthering our knowledge in the field of science. That didn't really make me feel better. We put the paper bag full of mouse guts in a refrigerator which I found strange (apparently the guts need to be cold before they are thrown away). On our walk back, I came to the conclusion that I prefer lab work more but I am grateful for this interesting experience. Once we got back, Matt demonstrated how, using the scratchy ends of slides, you can rub around the thymus and spleen to get all of the cells out and just keep the tissue/skin. This part was cool but also gross and reminded me of bloody boogers. Overall, I am not sure if I will be returning to the mouse facility any time soon because I was not a fan, however, it was an insightful experience.
4/17/19
Today I arrived at my internship a little later than usual but no one was there so I pipeted water again. Yung and Arielle came later and they talked to me about their individual projects that relate back to Type 1 Diabetes. Arielle's project involves manipulating and then cloning DNA by adding "things of interest" to vectors. She uses something to cut the vectors in hopes that when they come back together, they will include the "thing of interest". She did a better job of explaining this in person. Yung's project involves putting T cells from the pancreas into the Thymus so that young T-cells can be trained to know not to attack its own cells (which would result in autoimmunity). They also talked about how Matt's area of the lab works to stop T-Cells from attacking the body in the first place whereas Maria's half works on what to do once the T-Cells have gone rogue. Arielle explained how they were just working on the flip sides of the same coin. Arielle also further explained type 1 diabetes and that it is still unknown what causes young people to develop it but we think it is genetic. Basically, type one diabetes is when you consume sugar, your pancreas doesn't deliver it to the right places in your body which means that your body can't get energy. The pancreas isn't doing its job because it doesn't have insulin (which is why type one diabetics need injections of insulin in order to survive). When Linda arrived, we headed to the mouse facility to euthanize one of the mice who had developed some sort of disease (I think) and was paralysed. Since we had plenty of time, Linda gave me a tour of the facility which smelled especially bad today. On our walk back, she said that most people that work in research labs don't make a lot of money because labs rely on grants. These grants are hard to receive because of controversy on what the lab researches. She also said that an IP is required to make a lab function and talked about them working to get a new another technician because Linda has a really big job and it can be hard to complete everything. She says that I could start getting paid to intern at a lab over the summer when I turn 18.
4/24/19
Today I arrived at the lab and, as usual, practiced pipeting water until other lab members showed up. When Arielle arrived, she was super excited because I would be able to help her with one of the final steps to her experiment. First, she explained to me what DNA sequencing was and how it differed from PCR (which Linda had explained in previous visits). DNA sequencing involves finding the pattern in the base pairs of DNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. We were doing this with the DNA samples that she had added something to (I am not sure what) to see how it would turn out. I was shocked that she let me help her with this. We first used this machine where you pipet a drop of the DNA sample onto this black dot. Since the machine is connected to the computer, the computer reads the purity of the DNA and also shows how much DNA is in the sample. These numbers are then recorded on both the computer as well as written on the top of the tube. The results were shown on a graph (whose line was supposed to be a certain shape that reflected how good the DNA was) as well as numbers off to the side of the graph. Before this whole experimented, I received a valuable lesson on what are the names of each pipet. The name of the pipet is basically the maximum capacity the pipet can pipet (which can be found on the top of the pipet). I also learned how to set a pipet to suck up the right amount of liquid. The red number is the number after the decimal point and the biggest pipet is missing the last number (or maybe the first). Ignore that sentence, it is a note to self. Next, she trusted me with doing the last step of her experiment before it went off to be sequenced which was adding the appropriate amount of primer and water to the DNA samples. She taught me the calculations they use to determine what needs to be mixed. You take 500 and divide it by the number on the DNA sample to find how much DNA needs to be taken out. You always add 2.5 microliters of primer. Then to find the amount of water, you do 15 minus the amount of DNA minus the amount of primer. You pipet all of these liquids in from greatest volume to least volume and always be sure to stick the pipet tip fully in the liquid when releasing it. This was honestly the coolest thing I have ever done and was my first actual hands-on professional thing I've done at the lab. After this, we shut the lids on the little bottles, attached them to some piece of paper, put it in an envelope, and then put it in the mailbox. Finally, Arielle showed me how they order primers and the struggles of having to order two primers that will benefit each other. Then, another lab member, Yung, explained to me H&E staining. This process involves taking an organ that has been preserved in wax and then rehydrating by removing the wax (with xylene) and then letting it sit in decreasing percentages of ethanol. Then you stain them in Eosine and Hematoxylin (both of which pull out different colors of the organ). Then you preserve it by dunking it in increasing percentages of ethynol While it was a little confusing, the whole process seems really cool and I am excited to see how his stains turn out. Even though Linda wasn't here, I still had so much fun and learned more than I ever had at the lab. I am also super thankful I didn't have to go to the mouse facility!
5/1/19
Today, at my internship, I arrived wanting to ask Arielle how the sequencing results went and how Yung's organ staining went. Unfortunately, I didn't end up seeing Yung at all so I was unable to ask him this. I practiced using the pipet and, when Arielle arrived, she said she needed help prepping for a trip to the mouse facility. She was going to be sacrificing 14 mice and removing their spinal cords, brains, thymuses, and spleens! I needed to fill 56 tubes with 10ml of formaldehyde. It took a while and I spilt a lot. Next, Arielle taught me how to use this gigantic electronic pipet to fill some water with some other solution (I am not sure what it was used for). I was told what buttons to push to fill and release the liquid and also how I should not touch the tip to anything sterile in order to not cross contaminate. She left to go to the mouse facility and I starting PCR with Linda. We were at the part when we were doing the ethanol cleanse. She even let me help out. Then we did the thing when we shake the tubes and the little DNA strands appear. She also taught me that when pipeting ethanol, you have to do it slowly so you can be really accurate. I had a hard time doing this but she said it was okay. At some point, we went to the autoclave to clean some tips for the pipets and we also got ice. Overall, I am becoming more familiar with the genotyping process and I look forward to participating more in the procedure!
5/8/19
Today was the last day of my internship at the Bettini Lab! For the first thirty minutes, I pipeted water. Maria approached me and clarified with me that today was my last day and I thanked her for allowing me the opportunity to do this internship. When Linda arrived, she let me pipet with Ethanol for a couple of minutes. I learned that I need to pipet upward very slowly so that the ethanol does not jump to the top of the pipet and give the incorrect amount of volume. After this, we began the final steps of genotyping which was combining a bunch of liquids including primers, positive something, and lastly ethanol. This section always confuses me as it involves a bunch of tiny tubes that are being defrosted and I am not sure what is inside them or what order to have them. After the samples were divided into little tubes and placed in the ice chest to keep cool, we moved them to the machine which does the PCR. This process takes one to two hours depending on the number of samples placed in the machine and on the screen, it shows what step of the process the machine is on. In the machine, the DNA splits and the primer is added and then the DNA is put back together with the primer of interest (something like that). After this, we delivered some pipet tips to the autoclave (which is VERY broken). Next, we restocked the gigantic pipet tips at each lab member's individual workspace. During this process, I met Stephanie who was very nice and I am pretty sure she is a student at Baylor. We also prepared the buffer with 50 milliliters of water and 1.5 microliters of the wax-making stuff. After prepping the wax, we cleaned out the wax containers (that had gotten dirty) and we put a new buffer in them. There had been this beeping sound going on all morning and we found out that it was because of a nitrogen tank that was having problems. We found someone who worked at the lab it belonged at and he pushed a button resulting in the beeping to stop. In the end, we ran out of things to do so I said goodbye to Linda and gave her a thank you card. I also gave her one to give to Arielle who was not there that day. She rode to the bottom floor with me on the elevator and we said our last goodbye and I told her I would see her when internships start again next semester!
In conclusion, this opportunity to intern at the Bettini Lab has been incredible and I have learned so much about working in a lab environment. I am eager to continue next year and learn about the genotyping and PCR processes. I think I will ask not to return to the mouse facility and instead focus my time on learning in the lab.
Final Reflection - January 2020
It is now January and I have been asked to further reflect on my experience at the Bettini Lab. First of all, I would like to say that I am extremely grateful for how efficient they were in helping me to start an internship with them. I am currently working to begin another internship and it has been a very long process. While I don't remember exactly what the steps were to the genotyping process, I do remember how kind and patient Linda and Arielle were with explaining the new concepts. I didn't know anything about chemistry at the time so they really took the time to explain how things were working. They really wanted to make sure I understood which is something that I, looking back on it now, really appreciate it. I do remember my visits to the rat lab in great detail. That disgusting smell is, unfortunately, pernamently embedded into my brain and nostrils. Right after the internship, I wasn't sure if I wanted to return but now I realize how much I miss it. Well, now you are saying, "Just go back!". Well, Margaret, they MOVED to freaking UTAH and didn't tell me even after I emailed them like twenty bazillion times! So that's that. In conclusion, while I am annoyed they didn't let me know they were leaving, I am so thankful for I had this opportunity to gain research lab experience and knowledge involving genotyping and diabetes.
Today I had my interview with Maria Bettini at the Bettini Lab in the Medical Center. I was super nervous but had a list of around ten questions to ask her in case there was an awkward moment of silence. It took us some time to find the Feign Tower in the Medical Center but we eventually did. It had a gingerbread house in the front and inside there was a gargantuan Christmas tree. The receptionist took their time in checking us in and called Dr Bettini downstairs. She was really nice and we rode up the elevator to the lab where we were then seated in her office. We began with introductions and then she explained what they work on in the lab. The majority of people that work at the lab are post-docs and they each have their own individual small question that they are working to answer throughout their time in the lab. All of these questions fall under one big theme which is Type 1 diabetes. They do most of their test work on rats but these rats are kept at a different location. I learned that I will be "shadowing" a technician who helps the lab workers prep for their experiments and research their questions. I will be starting after J - Term. Then Dr Bettini took me on a tour of the lab and it was super cool but there were a lot of tools that I have never seen before. Not many people were at the lab but I was able to meet some of the few who were there. We thanked her and said goodbye. The interview went really well and I can't wait to start!
2/20/19
Today was my first time going to my internship! I was dropped off at the Feign Tower and checked in at the front desk where they called down Dr Bettini. We rode up the elevator up to the seventh floor and she showed me around the lab. I was informed that not many lab members are at the lab early in the morning because they all work late at night. Maybe I should move my internship time to Friday afternoon so that there will be more lab action. Linda, the lab technician, then arrived. She is very nice and I observed her while she conducted a genotyping experiment. She was testing to see if the mouse DNA was positive or negative. The lab mainly works with DNA and cells of mice that are kept at their main location. They also use these mice to experiment with diabetes vaccinations such as the CFA, an injection that prevents juvenile diabetes. I then received a brief lesson on genetics that was much needed in order to grasp more knowledge on the work they do at the lab. Linda emphasized the importance of organization as the Bettini Lab is a larger lab compared to most, having 8-9 people rather than 3-4. They use spreadsheets to record their data and make sure that no one is using someone else mice. I learned that they don't use many dangerous chemicals in the lab; Ethidium Bromide is the most toxic chemical they use. This chemical is used during genotyping experiments. She then demonstrated how to use lab pipets. I practiced pipeting water from the container to container. Linda then continued Dr. Bettini's tour around the lab and also showed me around the offices. We concluded my time at the lab by prepping tips (for the pipets) for the upcoming experience. Dr Bettini told me that the next time I was there, I would get my ID. Overall It was a great first research lab experience!
2/27/19
Today I went to my internship for the second time and met Dr. Bettini downstairs. We walked across the tunnel to another building where we were going to try to get me an ID. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my ID so we are going to do that next time. When I arrived at the lab, I met with Linda and we organized some syringes. We organized these syringes by size and put them all in one place so they would be easy to find and used. Next, she gave me a quick lesson on what DNA and PCR are so I can better understand their work at the lab. I learned that PCR involves splitting DNA using enzymes and that purchasing these enzymes are super expensive. This means that the lab members have to be very precise and accurate when doing their experiments so the valuable material doesn't go to waste. She also showed me some more of the equipment that they use in experiments including a powerful dishwasher that sterilizes all of the pipet tips. After meeting some of the other members of the lab (including Dr. Bettini's husband), Linda let me practice pipeting. I asked her if photo club could come to take a few photos of me at my internship and she said it was fine with her but I should ask Dr. Bettini. However, I was running late when I left so I didn't have time to do this. Overall, the lessons on DNA and PCR were super helpful and I look forward to continuing to watch her do experiments and maybe do some of my own!
2/6/19
Today was my first day being dropped off at the midpoint between me and Carly's buildings. I made my way over to the Feign Tower, checked in at the front office, and rode the elevator to the lab with Dr Bettini. Since no lab workers were at the lab yet, Dr Bettini gave me a quick tour of the lab and offices so that I would know where to go once I got my badge. When Linda arrived, she caught me up on the experiment she was working on. Basically, the ear clippings from the mouse ears were divided into individual tubes and dissolved/broken down using enzymes. Then we cleaned the DNA using ethanol. One super cool thing we did was shake the tubes that the DNA was in and you were able to see little strands of DNA floating around. Then we put the tubes in a machine that made all of the DNA stick to the sides and bottom of the tube so that we could extract the liquid and be left with just the DNA. While we were doing this, Linda explained a variety of things including the difference between alcohol and ethanol, how each lab member has a different way of organizing their experiments, and how 3D printers could be very helpful to the scientific field. At around 10:30, we stopped work and walked over to the Abercrombie Tower using the sky bridge. I finally received my badge. Now, I will be able to use the elevators and walk around the buildings without Linda and Dr Bettini having to lead me around. I am super excited! Lastly, Linda gave me a coloring book-calendar that shows mice DNA, kidneys etc. Although I probably won't have time to color it, I look forward to learning about all of the things displayed in the calendar. Overall, I am slowly but surely coming accustomed to the routine at the lab and am excited to return after Spring Break and A-Term.
4/5/19
Today I finally went back to the lab after three weeks of Spring Break and A-Term. It was my first day with my badge so I was able to ride the elevator up and walk to the lab all by myself. I accidentally went to the wrong door but I called Dr Bettini and she came to show me the correct way. When I finally arrived, Linda wasn't at the lab yet so I filled up a container with water and practiced my pipeting skills. Once she arrived, she printed me out a procedure for the genotyping work she does at the lab. We began the genotyping experiment and, while she worked, I practiced pipeting with alcohol. Then I helped her label the small tubes that the DNA samples were going to be put which was challenging as the lids of the tubes are very small. While we waited for the tubes to finish their time in the centrifuge (a machine that spins the tubes around really fast so that all of the material is sucked to the bottom of the tube), I helped Linda clean the dishes in the lab and then we put them in a sterilizing machine. This machine is basically a really powerful dishwasher that ensures that the tubes are super clean so that they don't interfere with the experiment. Next, we continued with the experiment and I got to do the cool thing where we shake the tubes and we can see the little DNA floating around. Unfortunately, this colony did not have a lot of DNA so this process wasn't as cool as the time before. Overall, I am finally starting to understand the process of genotyping and I look forward to becoming even more familiar with the procedure as I continue with my internship!
4/10/19
(WARNING-IF YOU LOVE MICE OR GET GROSSED OUT EASILY - DON'T READ)
Today was quite an experience. As usual, I arrived at the lab before Linda and practiced my pipeting skills using water. When Linda arrived, she asked me if I wanted to go with her and Matt (Maria's husband) to the mouse facility to collect the spleen and thymus of five mice. I said I was interested and contacted Dr Lee to make sure it was okay and she told me I could go. First, we had to pack the tubes that we were going to put the thymuses and spleens (vital organs in the immune system) in once they had been extracted. We took ten clear tubes that had been filled with a pink liquid meant to keep the organs fresh (the chemicals in the liquid resembled the inside of a body). Once this was done, we took a fifteen-minute walk to the mouse facility. As we walked, Matt gave me a quick tour of the medical center and showed me which buildings were new and old, which ones belonged to Baylor College of Medicine and others. Once we got into the right building (I can't quite remember which one), we rode a very sketchy elevator to the second floor and suited up. We wore face masks, hair nets, and these marshmallow jumpsuits. The reasoning behind all of this "suiting up" is so that we don't get the mice sick. The mice in the facility have compromised immune systems meaning they are easily susceptible to sicknesses. We gathered the materials needed to conduct the dissection/surgery and walked into the room where the Bettini Lab keeps all of their mice. To say the least, it was a sight I had never seen before. If you need a visual, just imagine a small-sized library but replace all of the books with mice in clear cages. Also, it smells like Petco times 10 plus death. Linda took me with her to select the unlucky mice that we were going to collect the thymuses and spleens and took them to this small room. However, since there were around five mice in each container, we had to pull out the ones that were going to be used. After this challenging process, we put two mice in another clear container with a lid that had a tube attached to it. This tube was connected to a can of some sort of gas which was turned on. I am not sure whether all of the oxygen was sucked out of the container or if some poisonous gas was shot into the container, but the mice were killed. I mean sacrificed. Matt then took one of the dead mice out and poured ethanol on it which killed bacteria and smoothed the hair down so it wouldn't get in the way of the messy and gruesome process. Then he cut a circle around the mouse's middle so that he could slide the skin off. This was just as gross as it sounds, maybe worse. Next, he pointed out some of the organs including, the thymus, spleen, liver and heart. After the thymus and spleen were extracted and put in tubes, the mouse and its remains were tossed in a paper bag and the bloody mess was wiped away. This process was repeated four more times. The last time, Linda tried to do it but she accidentally impaled a bunch of its organs so blood was everywhere. When we finally left, I didn't really know how I felt. Actually, that's a lie. I was definitely grossed out, in need of fresh air, and slightly traumatized. While I did feel bad for killing all of the mice, Linda explained how their deaths will greatly contribute to furthering our knowledge in the field of science. That didn't really make me feel better. We put the paper bag full of mouse guts in a refrigerator which I found strange (apparently the guts need to be cold before they are thrown away). On our walk back, I came to the conclusion that I prefer lab work more but I am grateful for this interesting experience. Once we got back, Matt demonstrated how, using the scratchy ends of slides, you can rub around the thymus and spleen to get all of the cells out and just keep the tissue/skin. This part was cool but also gross and reminded me of bloody boogers. Overall, I am not sure if I will be returning to the mouse facility any time soon because I was not a fan, however, it was an insightful experience.
4/17/19
Today I arrived at my internship a little later than usual but no one was there so I pipeted water again. Yung and Arielle came later and they talked to me about their individual projects that relate back to Type 1 Diabetes. Arielle's project involves manipulating and then cloning DNA by adding "things of interest" to vectors. She uses something to cut the vectors in hopes that when they come back together, they will include the "thing of interest". She did a better job of explaining this in person. Yung's project involves putting T cells from the pancreas into the Thymus so that young T-cells can be trained to know not to attack its own cells (which would result in autoimmunity). They also talked about how Matt's area of the lab works to stop T-Cells from attacking the body in the first place whereas Maria's half works on what to do once the T-Cells have gone rogue. Arielle explained how they were just working on the flip sides of the same coin. Arielle also further explained type 1 diabetes and that it is still unknown what causes young people to develop it but we think it is genetic. Basically, type one diabetes is when you consume sugar, your pancreas doesn't deliver it to the right places in your body which means that your body can't get energy. The pancreas isn't doing its job because it doesn't have insulin (which is why type one diabetics need injections of insulin in order to survive). When Linda arrived, we headed to the mouse facility to euthanize one of the mice who had developed some sort of disease (I think) and was paralysed. Since we had plenty of time, Linda gave me a tour of the facility which smelled especially bad today. On our walk back, she said that most people that work in research labs don't make a lot of money because labs rely on grants. These grants are hard to receive because of controversy on what the lab researches. She also said that an IP is required to make a lab function and talked about them working to get a new another technician because Linda has a really big job and it can be hard to complete everything. She says that I could start getting paid to intern at a lab over the summer when I turn 18.
4/24/19
Today I arrived at the lab and, as usual, practiced pipeting water until other lab members showed up. When Arielle arrived, she was super excited because I would be able to help her with one of the final steps to her experiment. First, she explained to me what DNA sequencing was and how it differed from PCR (which Linda had explained in previous visits). DNA sequencing involves finding the pattern in the base pairs of DNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. We were doing this with the DNA samples that she had added something to (I am not sure what) to see how it would turn out. I was shocked that she let me help her with this. We first used this machine where you pipet a drop of the DNA sample onto this black dot. Since the machine is connected to the computer, the computer reads the purity of the DNA and also shows how much DNA is in the sample. These numbers are then recorded on both the computer as well as written on the top of the tube. The results were shown on a graph (whose line was supposed to be a certain shape that reflected how good the DNA was) as well as numbers off to the side of the graph. Before this whole experimented, I received a valuable lesson on what are the names of each pipet. The name of the pipet is basically the maximum capacity the pipet can pipet (which can be found on the top of the pipet). I also learned how to set a pipet to suck up the right amount of liquid. The red number is the number after the decimal point and the biggest pipet is missing the last number (or maybe the first). Ignore that sentence, it is a note to self. Next, she trusted me with doing the last step of her experiment before it went off to be sequenced which was adding the appropriate amount of primer and water to the DNA samples. She taught me the calculations they use to determine what needs to be mixed. You take 500 and divide it by the number on the DNA sample to find how much DNA needs to be taken out. You always add 2.5 microliters of primer. Then to find the amount of water, you do 15 minus the amount of DNA minus the amount of primer. You pipet all of these liquids in from greatest volume to least volume and always be sure to stick the pipet tip fully in the liquid when releasing it. This was honestly the coolest thing I have ever done and was my first actual hands-on professional thing I've done at the lab. After this, we shut the lids on the little bottles, attached them to some piece of paper, put it in an envelope, and then put it in the mailbox. Finally, Arielle showed me how they order primers and the struggles of having to order two primers that will benefit each other. Then, another lab member, Yung, explained to me H&E staining. This process involves taking an organ that has been preserved in wax and then rehydrating by removing the wax (with xylene) and then letting it sit in decreasing percentages of ethanol. Then you stain them in Eosine and Hematoxylin (both of which pull out different colors of the organ). Then you preserve it by dunking it in increasing percentages of ethynol While it was a little confusing, the whole process seems really cool and I am excited to see how his stains turn out. Even though Linda wasn't here, I still had so much fun and learned more than I ever had at the lab. I am also super thankful I didn't have to go to the mouse facility!
5/1/19
Today, at my internship, I arrived wanting to ask Arielle how the sequencing results went and how Yung's organ staining went. Unfortunately, I didn't end up seeing Yung at all so I was unable to ask him this. I practiced using the pipet and, when Arielle arrived, she said she needed help prepping for a trip to the mouse facility. She was going to be sacrificing 14 mice and removing their spinal cords, brains, thymuses, and spleens! I needed to fill 56 tubes with 10ml of formaldehyde. It took a while and I spilt a lot. Next, Arielle taught me how to use this gigantic electronic pipet to fill some water with some other solution (I am not sure what it was used for). I was told what buttons to push to fill and release the liquid and also how I should not touch the tip to anything sterile in order to not cross contaminate. She left to go to the mouse facility and I starting PCR with Linda. We were at the part when we were doing the ethanol cleanse. She even let me help out. Then we did the thing when we shake the tubes and the little DNA strands appear. She also taught me that when pipeting ethanol, you have to do it slowly so you can be really accurate. I had a hard time doing this but she said it was okay. At some point, we went to the autoclave to clean some tips for the pipets and we also got ice. Overall, I am becoming more familiar with the genotyping process and I look forward to participating more in the procedure!
5/8/19
Today was the last day of my internship at the Bettini Lab! For the first thirty minutes, I pipeted water. Maria approached me and clarified with me that today was my last day and I thanked her for allowing me the opportunity to do this internship. When Linda arrived, she let me pipet with Ethanol for a couple of minutes. I learned that I need to pipet upward very slowly so that the ethanol does not jump to the top of the pipet and give the incorrect amount of volume. After this, we began the final steps of genotyping which was combining a bunch of liquids including primers, positive something, and lastly ethanol. This section always confuses me as it involves a bunch of tiny tubes that are being defrosted and I am not sure what is inside them or what order to have them. After the samples were divided into little tubes and placed in the ice chest to keep cool, we moved them to the machine which does the PCR. This process takes one to two hours depending on the number of samples placed in the machine and on the screen, it shows what step of the process the machine is on. In the machine, the DNA splits and the primer is added and then the DNA is put back together with the primer of interest (something like that). After this, we delivered some pipet tips to the autoclave (which is VERY broken). Next, we restocked the gigantic pipet tips at each lab member's individual workspace. During this process, I met Stephanie who was very nice and I am pretty sure she is a student at Baylor. We also prepared the buffer with 50 milliliters of water and 1.5 microliters of the wax-making stuff. After prepping the wax, we cleaned out the wax containers (that had gotten dirty) and we put a new buffer in them. There had been this beeping sound going on all morning and we found out that it was because of a nitrogen tank that was having problems. We found someone who worked at the lab it belonged at and he pushed a button resulting in the beeping to stop. In the end, we ran out of things to do so I said goodbye to Linda and gave her a thank you card. I also gave her one to give to Arielle who was not there that day. She rode to the bottom floor with me on the elevator and we said our last goodbye and I told her I would see her when internships start again next semester!
In conclusion, this opportunity to intern at the Bettini Lab has been incredible and I have learned so much about working in a lab environment. I am eager to continue next year and learn about the genotyping and PCR processes. I think I will ask not to return to the mouse facility and instead focus my time on learning in the lab.
Final Reflection - January 2020
It is now January and I have been asked to further reflect on my experience at the Bettini Lab. First of all, I would like to say that I am extremely grateful for how efficient they were in helping me to start an internship with them. I am currently working to begin another internship and it has been a very long process. While I don't remember exactly what the steps were to the genotyping process, I do remember how kind and patient Linda and Arielle were with explaining the new concepts. I didn't know anything about chemistry at the time so they really took the time to explain how things were working. They really wanted to make sure I understood which is something that I, looking back on it now, really appreciate it. I do remember my visits to the rat lab in great detail. That disgusting smell is, unfortunately, pernamently embedded into my brain and nostrils. Right after the internship, I wasn't sure if I wanted to return but now I realize how much I miss it. Well, now you are saying, "Just go back!". Well, Margaret, they MOVED to freaking UTAH and didn't tell me even after I emailed them like twenty bazillion times! So that's that. In conclusion, while I am annoyed they didn't let me know they were leaving, I am so thankful for I had this opportunity to gain research lab experience and knowledge involving genotyping and diabetes.
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