My Internship

This internship will help me to improve my skills and confidence as an independent researcher by allowing me to complete an independent research project under the supervision of Dr. Liffner. I will be improving my understanding of sterile technique as well as gaining proficiencies in microscopy, western blot, PCR, parasite/cell culture, and other useful lab techniques. Thus far, I have had experiences with microscopy, sterile technique, parasite culture, DNA extraction, PCR, and Western blot which have been a lot of fun to learn and are extremely useful transferable skills for my future as a research scientist. I have been learning these skills by first watching another lab member demonstrate them and then trying them for myself. This method works really well for me because I am a visual learner. So far my favorite lab activities have been parasite culture and microscopy because I have really enjoyed learning the process of caring for the parasites and then getting to visualize how my actions impact their growth.

After completing my second self-reflection survey, I realize that I still need to prioritize increasing my comfort with presenting my ideas in a formal setting to others and that I need to work on improving the way that I accept constructive criticism. However, overall I believe that I have already begun to improve from where I was at the beginning of this experience, and I feel confident that I will continue to improve as this experience progresses.

This internship currently relates the most to the topics covered in my cell biology course. The protein I am studying during this internship experience appears to have an impact on mitosis. Cell biology focuses heavily on mitosis, however, Plasmodium falciparum varies greatly in its method of mitosis. At first, this may sound negative, but having the ability to compare and contrast "classic" mammalian mitosis with parasitic mitosis has helped me to organize my thoughts and gives me a base to build my understanding upon.

My lab has been studying the effects of the absence of TLK on parasite growth and morphology. They have mainly been conducting research through expansion microscopy which allows them to see many more structures inside the parasites than ever before. My project has a slightly more molecular biology focus than what has previously been studied on TLK. Once I have gathered all of my data, I will be able to evaluate the value of certain regions of the TLK DNA sequence to the functions of the protein. I have already succeeded in culturing 9 revertant parasite lines, which will be featured through a western blot in an upcoming paper my lab is publishing.

After completing the Spring self-evaluation, I realize the main thing I need to continue to work on is my confidence in myself and my willingness to take risks. I need to invest more time in developing faith in myself to do a task correctly without having to check my protocol again or ask others for assurance. I know what I need to do, but I often question myself when I shouldn't. Going forward at my internship site, I plan to work on improving my confidence in my abilities as a researcher by completing more experiments and gaining more experience as a researcher.

I am proud of myself for improving my basic skills as a researcher. I now feel comfortable using a microscope and using micropipettes just comes naturally to me. I can also say that I know how to culture cells too! I am proud of myself for the knowledge I have managed to gain in such a short amount of time. I have also learned how to do some procedures in the lab without needing to constantly check the protocol which makes me feel like my skill set is really growing.

I have faced some challenges with wrapping my mind around all of the biological concepts, but I have made a significant effort to reach out to my supervisor whenever I am feeling confused. He has been extremely helpful in clarifying concepts and answering my questions. I also sometimes struggle with having confidence in my decisions when it comes to cell culture. I often believe I know what needs to be done with the parasites to keep them alive, but I find myself asking for a second opinion rather than going with my gut. I have been working on improving this for myself. I am finding it isn't a lack of knowledge on my part but instead a fear of messing up. I have been making a greater effort to trust myself more because I need the confidence to grow as a researcher.

The most challenging part of this internship has not been learning the techniques and background information, but rather trusting myself that I am remembering it correctly. Moving forward my main goal will be to continue to improve my confidence in myself as a researcher. I have the skillset, I just need to believe in myself and put it into action. I have noticed that I learn better when I just trust myself and go for it instead of stopping to ask for clarification on each step. This method does result in me making some mistakes, but I learn so much more this way.

Prior to starting this internship, I expected to be shown how to do a protocol or skill once and then be expected to know how to do it after that without asking questions because previous internships have followed that model. I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed with exceptional support, and I am often offered guidance more than once on tasks so I can grow my confidence in a low-stress environment. I also did not expect to have such great relationships with my colleagues. Not only do I learn science and lab techniques while I am there, but I also get to have fun and be social. I also knew that I was going to enjoy the experience, but I did not realize truly how much I was going to enjoy it. I really love working in a lab, and I am so glad I ended up in this one.

Nothing defines the atmosphere of a workplace more than the people in it. I am extremely fortunate to have ended up in a lab full of supportive and understanding people from all over the world. I feel like my potential to learn is so much greater because I feel comfortable around everyone and they all make an effort to foster an inclusive environment. The thing I appreciate most is their willingness and excitement to celebrate everyone's accomplishments no matter how big or small. Doing so makes everyone feel appreciated. As I develop my future career, I hope that I will be able to carry these qualities with me into my future workplaces because I believe they play a huge role in fostering success.