CERTL Research Program 05'

2005-07-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today I mostly focused on finishing up my powerpoint presentation and added my graphs. I had to make a few miner ajustments so that the graphs would be visble and changed the back grounds to white. Later I ran some arrands for my lab tech and made reservations for the dinner next thursday.

2005-07-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

First thing this morning I worked on my powerpoint presentation and wrote out some notes to help me. Then at 10:00 this morning I went with the lab tech to do an experiment at Wake Forest University to check a Buffer for RNAP. After writing some notes I watched as the graphs progressed and showed how much RNAP was present. At 12:00 PM we went back to our labs and left for lunch.
After lunch we got ready to go to Wake Forest again. We noticed the graphs were still quite simular at different temperatures.

2005-07-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I didn't too much to do today. I made sure to remove the dishes from the dryer this morning and then worked on my powerpoint presentation. Later I worked on my graphs and compared them to my first group of graphs. Then I put autoclaved tape on the dishes I removed from dryer to get them ready to be autoclaved.

2005-07-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

I started my day by first going to the Kuchera lab at 9:00 clock. The lab tech then taught me how to count cells on the Hemosemtometer. I had to count DU-145 and PC3 cells, for the DU-145 cells I counted 77 and for the PC3 cells I counted 221. Later I put in the new numbers from the data sheet printed on Friday. Next I redid the concentration numbers and converted them to molecular weight. Then I went to the meeting with Dr. Lambros.

2005-07-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

On Fridays the CERTL studens always have to meet in the computer lab for a workshop. I worked on my blog and my powerpoint while I was there, then I had to leave to put dye on my 96 well dishes that morning. After I was done a returned to the computer lab and continued to work on my blog. After our 30 minute break we had to meet with Addriene. We each discussed why we applied for CERTL and then were told of the meeting we had with Dr. Lambros on Monday.
After our lunch break we had to go to our chosen labs for Lab Visitation Day. I had signed for two labs with Dr. Harp and Dr. Williamson. After I went to the labs I came back to my lab and ran some arrands.

2005-07-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

I went directy to the lab today to check on my cells. Then I watched as my lab tech split some cells and taught me how to freeze cells. As she went through the process of freezing the cells, I wrote a protocol for freezing cells. Later I put in some data for my graphs and then burned them on a clean CD to transfer to another computer. Then I wrote my introduction for my presentation and let Dr. Gmeiner look over it.

2005-07-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

I started my day by getting ready to fill some new 96 well dishes. First I got the four drugs for the four dishes which were FdUMP[10], and Hairpins 1, 2, and 3. Then I placed those three drugs in a tray and looked for a 100 microleter multipipetter and a 100 microleter pipetter used to place the drug in the dishes. After that I checked to see if the pipetters were in good condition by pumping water through them. Since they looked okay I started the procedure. The first drug used was FdUMP[10], I vortexed the tube to bring all of the dug to the bottom and then used the pipetter to remove 100 microleters of the drug in each of the three wells under the four containing only medium. Then I used the multipipetter set to 100 microleters while using only three pipettes. I pumped the drug throughout the three wells all at once, ten times and moved on to the next three until I reached the last column. I followed the same process thoughout the next three trays using Hairpins 1, 2, and 3. All of the dishes contained 2,000 cells in each well except the outside wells which contained PBS and four of those wells on the bottom right contained only medium.

2005-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today I checked on my cells to see if they had become confluent. Then I made and appoitment for the hood today at 12:00 PM, tomarrow at 9:00 AM and for friday. Then I entered in the information received from the data sheet I had gotten on thursday last week into the computer. Later I worked on my powerpoint presentation and then split my cells and placed them into new plates. Next I mixed the drugs for my experiment tomarrow in filling 96 well dishes. First I put the tubes of FdUMP[10], and Hairpins 1, 2, and 3 in the centrifuge to bring all of the drug to the bottom. Then I set a pipetter to 186 microleters and removed that amout from each of the four tubes and put it into four empty tubes. Next I added 93 microleters of PBS and 31 microleters of zinc chloride to each of the tubes while changing the tip every time. Then I placed the tubes in the centrifuge to bring all the drug to the bottom. Then I placed the tubes in the drybath and waited till the temperature reached 75 degrees to time it for 5 minutes. After the five minutes I removed the tubes from the drybath and left at room temperature for an hour. When the hour passed I put the tubes in a tray and placed it in the refrigerator. I did, accidently leave the drug in the water bath some minutes over, so now I have watch and see if the extra time in the drybath may have effected the drug. Later I continued to put in more information into the computer and printed out the graphs I had made from the data.

2005-07-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

I started my morning by going straight to the computer lab for the computer workshop. The lab tech gave us some time to ourselves to gather any data we could for our prodject and gave us some tips on creating a powerpoint. After we had the computer workshop we were given a 30 minute break before we had to report to the conference room for our next meeting. During the meeting we read two articles, one about how fish oil affects those with artificial attachements to their hearts and the other article giving the positive results of drinking more milk for those who had PMS. I ended my day by respliting my cells for the long weeked and then read some articles given to me.

2005-06-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

I started my day off by practicing loading dye into 96 well dishes for later this morning. Then I counted some cells. Later on I went with the lab tech to make another Pulse/Field Gel Electophorisis. After we got the gel we then put it in a kdjfka bromine to stain the DNA so that its picture could be taken. Then I went to the lab to fill the four plates from yesterday with dye so that we could see how different concentrations of the drug could would effect its color change. A few minutes later we went to another lab to use the Typhoon, the machine used to take the gel's picture. Then later in the afternoon we put the 96 well dishes in a plate reader to measure each of the four plates' optical density. Then I ended the day by finishing counting the cells.

2005-06-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

I started my day with writing my protocol for DU-145 and the procedure for filling the 96 well dishes that I had done yesterday. Then later I checked to see whether my cells were crowed or confluent. So then I passed the cells and split them to give them more room and give the cells more medium. Later on I read some articles on MTS for when I put dye in my 96 well dish tomarrow. I also started counting a new batch of cell collonies that had been dyed a while back.

2005-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today I practiced filling 96 well dishes so that I would be prepared. Later I went to the lab to fill four 96 well dishes that I was to use for my project. I worked with drugs FdUMP[10] and with three other hairpins. The hairpins were labeled Hairpin #1, Hairpin #2, and Hairpin #3. In each of the wells there were 2,000 prostate cancer cells. The outside wells contained the drug PBS ( Phosphate Buffer Saline) except for four of the wells on the bottom right, which was filled with medium. First I used the drug FdUMP[10] in the three wells in front of the wells that contained medium. Then I used a multipipetter and used only three pipets. Then I pumped the drug through out the cells ten times and moved to the next row of three until I reached the next to the last row and started at the second row of three wells. I repeated the same procedure until I reached the last two rows then disposed of the fluid left. I did this with the other three 96 well dishes Hairpins 1, 2, and 3.

2005-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I split cancer cells by removing some of the cells in order for them to have more room and gave the cells fresh medium, which is their source of food. Later I read some articles and chapters from a book that was given to me pertaining to my project and then I finished counting the remaing plates with prostate cancer cells.

2005-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today we had to meet in the computer lab this morning for a computer workshop in the library. The lab tech taught all the CERTL students how to make their own blogs. Then we were given our assignment to creat blogs from the past three weeks. Later we had a meeting with one of the advisors. We each passed in a hypothesis for our projects and then had a group discussion. Unlike the last meeting we had the CERTL students had the choice of speaking other than being required to say what it is that we are exactly doing.

2005-06-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

This morning my mentor gave me the task of measuring the difference of volume in the ethenol every five minutes. After the first two intervals the flow of ethenol was still not very much until my mentor, Dr. Gmeiner, moved some wires around. The volume of the ethenol went firom 160 microleters to 1,400 microleters, which is a big improvement. In the afternoon I helped to autoclave some of the bottles and went along with the lab tech to get the bottles washed. Later I practiced loading 96 well dishes to prepare myself for next week's assignment.

2005-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today my mentor and I tried to restart the Tunable Absorbance Detector. We started off by cleaning the machine's engine with ethenol, and checked whether the pressure had changed or not. Then we just let it run for a while to give it time to adjust. Later that day I helped to autoclave some of the boxed pipettes used for loading 96 well dishes.

2005-06-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

I started my day of by checking my cells under the microscope to see if my cells were confluent or overcrowded. I passed the cells by removing most of them from the dish and gave them fresh medium. After that I wrote a protocol for passing cells so that I would be able to go through the steps more easily. Later that day I saw the picture that was taken from friday of the Pulse/Field Gel Electophorisis.

2005-06-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

The CERTL students have to meet on fridays, so my day began with working in the computer lab where we have workshops to help us with our powerpoints and projects. That lasted for about two hours then we had a thirty minute break. Later we met with one of the advisors of CERTL. He basicly went around the room and asked us what it was we were doing in our labs and if we had a hypothesis for our projects. If we did then he would have asked us to say a little about our project. Later we had to go to the GCRC building and our tour guide showed around and told us what it was they did there. Then we were dismissed.

2005-06-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

I didn't really have much lab work to do today. I mostly organized the lab by throwing away old plates of cells, cleaning the shelves and counter tops, putting books on the shelves and picking up trash. The rest of the day I watched the lab techs fill 96 well dishes and read some articles that were given to me.

2005-06-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I started my day with reading some of the articles given to me by mentor and the lab tech. Most of the day I observbed the lab techs as they showed me procedures for some of the cells they work with. Later that day I went along with the lab tech to make a Pulse/ Field Gel Electophorisis for Dr. Gmeiner. I was shown how it was made and how often to check it. It had to be checked every afternoon and would have its picture taken at 1:30 PM on friday.

2005-06-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today we checked on the cells that were dyed and counted how many of the prostate cancer cell still remained after being treated with FdUMP[10]. We found the results to be very good because of the small amount of cancer left after being treated with the drug. From this result we have learned that the drug FdUMP[10] indeed is effective, but the real question is whether the drug will have the same results when put into a person.

Certl Day 1

2005-06-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

Today I worked with prostate cancer cells in the lab. The plates I worked with comtained about 300 cancer cells and I had to apply a newly developed medication called FdUMP[10] on the plates. After the medication was applied, the dish was then stained with dye to see how many cells remained after the application of FdUMP[10]. Then after rinsing the remaining dye the plates were left to dry.