Mustafa shakir

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER:

1. Who are you doing research with this summer and what kind of research project are you doing?

I am doing research under Dr. Baird’s Lab with graduate student Magdalena Kaminska. My research project involves purifying and experimenting on multiple different RNA constructs that were created by my graduate student mentor.

2. What do you find fascinating in the research you’re doing?

I enjoy learning and perfecting all the techniques I perform in my research lab. I enjoy working with different types of gel electrophoresis along with growing bacteria cultures to extract important materials. The chemistry behind what I am doing in the lab always fascinates me even when I am performing simple techniques.

3. What skills are you learning through the USURF experience?

There are many skills I am learning through my USURF experience. I have learned many new lab techniques along with perfecting ones I have already performed in the past. The USURF experience has also helped me think of new ways to approach problems and helped push me to find easier solutions to certain challenges.  

4. What are the challenges you’re encountering in your research?

Many challenges are present during the research experience. Results from experiments can sometimes be confusing to understand, as many times, we do not know what we expect when we perform them. However, trying to work with my mentors and approaching the problems from different ways helps alleviate some of the confusion.

5. How is your USURF experience impacting the way you view your field?

The USURF experience has given me a much better understanding of true lab work in a professional setting. Using the time to create and work on a project was very important to explore all the different skills necessary to efficiently carry out work in our field. Although good lab technique can be beneficial, there are many other skills, like communication, that can be equally helpful in our field.

6. Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I was born in Mumbai, India and I moved to the USA when I was 5 years old. Learning how to adapt to this major change was an important part to who I became as a person.