My Site
My internship site is supervised under Dr. Joseph Dynlacht. His research is towards developing new drugs and treatments for cancer patients with a goal to reduce side effects. My site is working on testing compounds that we receive from a lab at IU Bloomington. These compounds are meant to be cytotoxic to tumor cells when heated and nontoxic when not heated.
Green Yoga Studio Minimalist Trifold Brochure.pdfI have been given compounds to test if they are cytotoxic to cancer cells. These experiments usually require multiple repeats to confirm results. The first compound didn't show any killing when heated, but more experiments are in the works with different compounds. The lab has also been busy with in vivo experiments, instead of testing cell culture of tumor cells, we are running experiments on mice who have grown a tumor cell on their leg. Their leg will then be injected with the compound and the vehicle then be heated. These experiments are working in finding a noninvasive, limited side effects treatment for cancer patients. Using such drugs and heating treatment would limit side effects when compared to chemotherapy if the drug shows the prominent killing of tumor cells. This could be a major breakthrough as many people have been affected by cancer whether they themselves have had it or someone close to them has.
My Project
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are widely used forms of cancer treatment. However, the side effects can be harmful to the patients. The objective of my internship was to test drugs that could be used as a cancer treatment, but without causing side effects. The drugs focused are in this project were platinated phosphines which are metalloenediyne compounds that are known to cause enhancement of DNA damage to cancer cells under appropriate conditions. When these compounds are exposed to cancer cells at temperatures above that of the normal human body (hyperthermia), the cell-killing effect of the drugs is enhanced. However, these drugs are expected to not be toxic to cells when treated at physiological temperature. Clonogenic survival assays were used to determine the toxicity of these drugs on cancer cells when heated and when not heated.
Out of the three variations of platinated phosphines that were tested, Pt-PPox, PtPP-gly, and PtPP-mMe, PtPP-mMe displayed the highest levels of cell toxicity with heat[J1] . An in vitro DNA binding assay was used to test how efficiently the platinated phosphines, specifically Pt-PP, were attaching to the cancer cell’s DNA, as this might contribute to cell death. We showed an insignificant level of binding to DNA which could explain the lack of cytotoxicity in platinated phosphines both at normothermic and hyperthermic temperatures. Further studies are being done on mice to investigate if platinated phosphines could potentially be used for cancer treatment at a clinical level.
Learning and Skills
From this experience, I hope to be able to gain more independence in lab settings. I hope to be able to develop my communication skills by describing and showcasing my research. From this, I believe I can learn more useful lab skills that can be added to my resume. I also chose this lab in order to discover what area of biomedical engineering I want to pursue and branching out from my other labs into this area of research will do so.
As I close out September of my internship, my goals for this internship still stay strong and have grown a little more. I still want to continue to develop my own interest in the lab and I have been doing so by reading research articles as well textbook material to learn more about their studies. I know I will be able to contribute my own experiments to the lab eventually as well as I will be tasked with testing new compounds on the line of cells that I keep running. Since I am working with compounds and medication, I hope this will look appealing to pharmaceutical companies as I want to work in research for that industry. Just having the knowledge as well as the skills to perform these experiments are key factors for industry testing.
The first protocol I wrote about learning how to passage and handle cells:
Passing_cells_protocol.pdfOctober has allowed me to become more independent as I have been able to run experiments on my own. I look forward to gaining more independence and being able to run experiments on my own. My lab has also been working in vivo experiments in mice. I have been able to help minimally in this big experiment as this is their first animal experiment in over a year. I am excited to see the results and the whole process of this project. As this drug they are testing on the mice has been tested before already with in vitro tests and showed promising results of being able to kill cancer cells. If the experiments in vivo also show signs of high cytotoxicity then the drug could even move forward to clinical trials.
I have been working more on being independent and communicating. I have been able to talk to my supervisors more openly about my work and they have given me more trust in accomplishing tasks on my own. I believe I can work more on my own confidence and stay organized in balancing work and school. This can be improved by taking more time outside of work hours to prepare for work and better manage my time. It's also important for me to continue to be open and communicate as much as I can with my PI. If I am not communicating with them then I won't be able to know how to improve by their advice. This will also play a crucial role when I am working in the industry as I will need to be able to present and show my work to my bosses in order to make sure I am on the right track.
My lab work has fit more into my coursework than I could ever expect. My biomaterials class just started a new project in which students were allowed to grow their own 3T3 fibroblasts cells and run an assay on the cells when they were exposed to a material. We were testing the cytotoxicity of the material. My instructors had to teach the students how to handle, pass, and count cells. I will say I did learn new skills from my class, like counting cells more manually and also running a different type of assay. I felt more confident in my skills and I felt that I was able to help my classmates. Since I already had a background in this work I felt a step ahead in my class.
Relating back to my goals as well, my internship has helped me feel more comfortable in what type of depth area I want to go into. Since I can easily relate my work in the lab to the biomaterials course, I feel more confident that I want to pursue my career in biomaterials.
So far as an intern I have learned a lot from both lab skills and professional aspects. I have also learned some life lessons. In terms of lab skills, I have gained a lot experience in cell culture. Over the past few months, I have been able to successfully keep 1 to 2 cell lines alive, meaning I have taken care of cells and prevented contamination of the cancer cells well. I have learned how to handle aseptic techniques, meaning how to keep everything sterilized. All these skills by now have been very common every time when I come into the lab, that they are almost muscle memory at this point.
In a professional aspect, my PI and mentor have been great about talking to me about what I want to do in the future and how I can get there. My PI gave me recommendations on how to apply for IUPUI Top 100 and we have also had a few conversations on what I want to do for my long-term career. I have mentioned that I want to work in the industry and every time we make a decision on how I should progress, I take that into account. They have shown me an efficient and welcoming work environment which will be a good standard for when I continue working in the industry. These moments when we could be doing a major experiment but in the downtime we can talk about the weekend plans, buying new cars, or movies are some of my favorites spent in this lab besides learning new lab skills.
In terms of learning life lessons, as I have mentioned before I have had not great outcomes or results in my experiments. My PI and mentor are still encouraging and continually push me to do my best. It can be discouraging not seeing the results that were expected but it can be harder not knowing where the error came from. I believe that this lab has shown me how I can learn from my mistakes and that it's normal for the unexpected to happen. I believe this mentality has helped me mature over time.
My contribution:
Research can often seem repetitive to some but that is just part of being part of the bigger picture. I had to repeat experiments that had previous questionable results before. I furthered their study into platinated phosphines to see if these compounds were suitable anti-cancer agents. My results allowed for further investigation into using a mouse model for one of the drugs which is the next step in seeing if the drug could be used clinically.
I have grown a great amount professionally during my internship. As the LHSI poster comes closer and I have worked more on my writing skills with my bosses, I realize I have a lot of work to be down. I would like to continue to build my written and verbal communication to someday be the same as my mentors. Comparing my writing abilities to theirs and how I can improve has humbled me but also opened my eyes to where I need to improve. I have now considered taking on roles outside of just research and science and considering other jobs in order to develop my soft skills. I would be interested in taking on more roles as mentors, leaders, and communication roles in order to improve.
Building up
This internship and experience have allowed me to focus on my skills and strengths. I used to compliment myself on my communication skills and how I liked to work independently. I can now display those traits better in interviews when I am asked. I believe I still have lots to learn as a person but this experience was a great way to hone my skills and be able to display them better. I now have protocols and experiments I can show to prove the skills I had gained.
The Workplace
Both of my supervisors respond to emails and communication quickly and efficiently. They often give me feedback whether it's good or bad. I hope to be more like them so that I am able to give my opinions.
My supervisor is also amazing at time management as she can plan her day down to the minutes and I hope to be able to get to that level. She helps me look ahead in my schedule and plan for future workdays. I have been trying to use my calendar more as I have been busy with school and outside of school.
My mentors have been very clear of their expectations of me from the very start. We have so far followed the plans and goals that they have set for me. Everything that they told me they would have me be doing during the interview process has held true. Based on my previous internship experience, I didn't expect to have this much independence but I have appreciated it greatly. It has allowed me to grow more when more responsibilities fall on my shoulders. I have gained skills and knowledge within their research of oncology. More specifically, I would say the biggest surprise I have gotten from my experience is the results of my experiments. None of my experiments met the hypothesis that the drugs would be highly cytotoxic to the cancer cells. I have also battled with contamination of my cells which can be discouraging. I have really appreciated the support from my PI. Every time things don't go as planned he always says "Welcome to science!". He keeps encouraging me to get better at my techniques and find new drugs to work with. I was surprised with the amount of support and encouragement I am receiving even though my results have not been ideal. However, that is just how science works.
Example of a contaminated cell flask from my experiment.
Failure is an opportunity for learning!
One thing I am very appreciative for my lab is personality. We can have conversations and discussions about other things than work or research, for example, we all like to play the Wordle game that is trending right now. I also feel confident enough to talk to them about my weekend plans, accomplishments in my life, and I can talk to them about my future plans. Coming into a new lab can always be scary as you have to learn to adapt to a new environment every time but my mentors have been very welcoming and supportive. It has also been different compared to my previous labs as I am the only intern for this lab. Since there are no other students, I have been able to fully take advantage of all the opportunities that this lab has had to offer. My mentors and co-workers are able to devote their time to help me instead of it being spread out across five other students. I believe this type of focus has led me to feel more confident in the lab as I know I can always turn to them for help.
Both of my mentors are of similar backgrounds as me, therefore I don't believe I have been able to expand myself culturally. As someone who struggles with social anxiety, it has always been a struggle opening up to new people and getting to know them, but I believe having been in multiple labs now I feel like I have been able to practice getting too comfortable with new people and adapting to new environments. Through LHSI I have learned that all lab environments are different as I have heard so many different experiences from my fellow LHSI interns. It's been eye-opening learning from other interns about how their lab is different from mine but we are both benefitting and learning a lot from each of our experiences. In my future career, I hope to be able to work with others from different backgrounds and cultures because I believe it will help me get out of my comfort zone as well as broaden my perspective in many ways.
What makes me excited to go to work?
My lab manager and PI have been great supports along m journey. It has always been great to take time every day to be able to talk to them and catch up either on life or on how my work was going. Work is also exciting because every time I go in I know that I made some type of progress in my work or just improving myself.
Communication at work
My lab manager and PI are both great at responding to texts, emails, and calls. I am never afraid to ask a question even if I have to call them when they are not at work. They make it known when they are available and when they are not. This type of communication has allowed me to be comfortable in learning and making mistakes.
Social qualities
My workplace has also been open to meeting outside of the lab. They have brought me to lunch and invited me over for a labor day picnic last year. This type of outside engagement has allowed me to get to know them better. Even if I may not see them every day or even every week, I feel a connection to them and I feel I have built a healthy relationship with them.
My ideal work culture
My current workplace would be my ideal work structure. My bosses push me to do my best but also support me when I am confused. They allow me to have my independence and run my own experiments but I know they are still there if I need them. The only thing I would improve upon is having more people to work with. It would be nice having other interns or other people in a similar position work in the same environment. More people to collaborate with can lead to big developments at times.
My work culture hasn't been anything new to me as I have worked in similar situations with people from similar backgrounds. I believe I would be able to grow more if I was thrown into somewhere where everyone's background was vastly different. We would all be able to learn from each other and grow. I hope to experiment more with that uncomfortableness of the unknown in future endeavors.
The Ups and Downs
I started off in the lab running once my feet hit the ground. I was able to pick up on the techniques fast and I was able to be ahead of schedule. I was able to adapt to their expectations quickly and be open to their schedules. I was organized and was on top of my reading assignments. I wasn't afraid to ask questions which has allowed me to learn many new skills. I don't mind taking extra time to get an experiment done or to learn a new skill.
Even though I was able to pick on their techniques and lab skills quickly, as my PI likes to tell me "welcome to science". My experiments were meant to help me find a drug that exhibited high cytotoxicity to cancer cells when exposed to heat. The compounds that I was provided did not have favorable results. There was either not a significant amount of killing or I had issues with contamination. One experiment was repeated 3 times due to confusion about the possible contamination of my cells. It was difficult to pinpoint where I was going wrong in my experiments. There were 2 experiments that were not able to be completed due to complications. Science is often unpredictable and sometimes there is not an easy solution, especially if the issue was also unknown. Even though these results were discouraging, I still had hoped to continue my work. I didn't shy away from trying the experiment again and every time I paid even more attention to detail to make sure I wouldn't ruin the results. I am now moving past those experiments and trying new techniques which I hope to have better results. I learned from my failures and I still had the motivation to keep my experiments going because I was passionate about the work that I was doing.
Some successes I have had outside of the lab but I still feel are due to the support of this lab is that I was named one of IUPUIs top 100 for 2022. I believe with the support of LHSI I was able to meet this goal as I have been able to show my development and dedication to IUPUI and my education. My PI was also willing to write a letter of recommendation for me to be able to apply for a research internship for the Summer at the Purdue campus. I am grateful that my PI found me worthy to write a letter of recommendation for, it felt like I have been able to prove that I have at least done a sustainable job within his to be able to write a letter for. Their support within the last couple of months has been crucial to my development. Within the lab, I am continuing to work on new experiments, as my previous experiments had not gone as planned. They have tasked me with learning new experiments which have allowed me to expand my skills as well as be able to move on from my past experiences. In order to deal with my past experiments, I am learning how to write them a professional manner and still display their findings as an opportunity to learn from. I need to be able to take these unexpected results and spin them into a project to display and show how I have grown as an intern. This will take more self-reflection and processing as I need to be able to address all the possible events that could have caused the error.
Looking back at my internship, I am very proud of the goals I reached and the improvements I made. My PI even said he wished he could take me on for another LHSI session in which I was flattered that he felt that way. I am proud of the work I put into presenting my projecting and being able, to sum up, all my work in the presentation was satisfying. There are times when we need to take time to reflect on how much work we had done as interns and that was one of those times. Sometimes time flies so fast that we don't realize everything that we have accomplished. I am very grateful in this internship and I know it was a big factor in my future career goals.
Background Information
Site Background
Learning Techniques
Here is a video of me during an experiment:
I am using aseptic techniques to handle and passage the cells that I just exposed to hyperthermia treatment.
20211008_173306_1_1.mp4
