Chemistry teacher brings lab experience into the classroom
Posted Nov. 14, 2022
By Long Le
Staff Reporter
Chemistry teacher Darren Beene has a background working in a lab.
Before becoming a teacher Beene used to work in the Vollum Institute Lab in Portland after earning his PhD in chemistry from OSHU. What they research in the lab is cell signaling, how cells take external singles and change internal function in particular interested in these multi protein complexes called singling scaffolds. To explain to non-scientist cell signaling provides communication to cells within the living organism in order to carry out functions. It was very important to look into cell signaling as it use for medical reasons.
“These functions of the cells have medical interest, disease, cancer, and diabetes are caused by defective cell signaling,” said Beene
There were a variety of tools that were used in the lab but the tools prominently used are the following: centrifuge and electrophoresis; these measure electrical frequencies between nerve cells. Protein synthesis array to study protein function within cells, and incubators to provide a control environment for cell growth. With the use of tools safety is key within a lab, even labeling proteins is dangerous as it is fairly common to use nucleic acids with radioactive atoms. It’s practice to always wear safety gear, work in a safe environment and dispose of hazardous substances in sealed containers and incinerated later on. And by doing this it helped later on, as an experiment caught fire.
“When I was working in chemistry, a compound caught fire, luckily it was in a safe place, nothing else was burned," said Beene. "It just ruined the experiments.”
Always use common sense to practice safety in all environments. Beene wants to end with words of encouragement for upcoming scientists.
“Dedicated student work, learn your field, you have to be patient because it doesn't always work.” said Beene. “There's a lot of repetitive failures, a lot of experiments failed because you do not get clear results or results that cannot be explained. But getting a positive test is very satisfying and you keep that in mind during failed experiments.”
Although the lab he worked in specialized in biochemistry, he was nervous going in due to being not practiced in the subject but nonetheless excited to work. He overall had a positive working relationship with his colleague