The first week was daunting. Before beginning any research project, I had to learn the basics of what it meant to be a scientist. Many people think of movie stereotypes when imagining a biochemistry lab: mixing chemicals and working with your hands. However, the reality was far less exciting. My professor and graduate student handed me a stack of papers focusing on membrane proteins, and I was instructed to read them whenever possible.

To be blunt, it was incredibly hard. I didn't understand half of the things I was reading, let alone what it should mean to me. It wasn't a great feeling since every paper I would read and discuss with my graduate student seemed to confuse my already new understanding of the topic. This is where mentorship came in handy. My graduate student helped me understand biochemistry terminology and to read literature like a scientist. From picking out important details to analyzing cartoon models, I was slowly understanding how to read a biochemistry paper. Little did I know, I had learned my first set of skills. Even though many people consider reading to be intuitive, the lessons I learned about academic literature, and specifically biochemistry literature, were more valuable than I would've ever expected. 

Next up were the practical skills. For biochemistry, the skillset necessary is broad. As you may expect, it takes elements of microbiology, cellular biology, and chemistry to tackle some of the most demanding questions science has to offer. Since the project I would soon undertake involved membrane proteins, I focused heavily on protein expression and isolation. I would read the protocols, write down notes, and then attempt an experiment the next day. For the first couple weeks, however, it seemed like anything I did would go down in flames. I would go through my lab notebook and double-check, even triple-check, my work. But, as with any learning process, practice makes perfect (or at least progress). Towards the end of the semester, I was finally able to work independently!