B.S. Molecular Cell Biology Student (2024)

Prior to joining the Prišić lab, I was unsure of what my next steps would be after graduating. Entering college, I aspired to become a physical therapist, but as I progressed through my undergraduate studies I found myself increasingly drawn to science at the molecular level. I wanted to continue learning and taking in more information and furthermore, I wanted to be able to apply what I was being taught in class and think critically. I was initially hesitant to join a lab due to mixed experiences in the teaching labs and hearing about the difficulties of research from my peers. Joining the Prišić lab, however, provided me with an environment where I could use the knowledge I had accumulated in classes to answer real questions. Not only did I learn the basics of how to operate in a lab, but I also became well acquainted with the specific topics I studied, and gained valuable skills for any critical thinker such as being organized, objective, and persistent.

Upon graduating, I now plan to continue research as a Master's student which would not have been the case had I not joined the Prišić lab during my time as an undergraduate. Regardless of your professional goals, I recommend trying a semester or two in a research lab. It is a great opportunity to discover new interests, gain unique skills, and meet people in the same field who can help guide you. 

To me, the most exciting part of science comes after the long hours of perusing textbooks, flashcards, and PowerPoint slides – when that hard-won knowledge is put to the test. In my undergraduate classes, I learned the necessary biological concepts and mechanisms to further my education, but it was only through having the opportunity to participate first-hand in research that I began to truly appreciate all that goes into the discovery and establishment of our current scientific dogma.

When I started in Dr. Prišić’s lab in the fall of my freshman year, I had no previous lab experience, little knowledge of biology and chemistry beyond my high school AP classes, and no idea how to dissect a scientific article. I leave, with not only these skills, but so much more.

In reflection, here are the main takeaways from my time at the Prišić lab:

Understanding of Scientific Concepts:

My first undergraduate project involved anion exchange columns and filter-assisted sample preparation (FASP) for mass spectrometry – both of which were far beyond the scope of my high school education. Although I struggled a lot at first to conceptually grasp what was happening in both procedures, having put in the early legwork to do so allowed me to navigate my later organic chemistry and biochemistry classes with relative ease. Dr. Prišić and my graduate student mentor, Allexa Dow, were both very supportive of my efforts in these early years and gave me thorough explanations when there were lapses in my understanding. Additionally, in contrast to the format of a class, learning through research necessitated that I ask questions and develop a proactive attitude towards my education – characteristics that have aided me in my pursuits to this day.

Reading Scientific Literature:

When I initially set out to learn about column chromatography, there was no Khan Academy tutorial for the specific methods that I was to use, so I instead had to learn those concepts by reading scientific papers. While they were initially daunting to my freshman-year self, I am grateful to have had that early exposure and practice in quickly breaking down papers as it has served me well throughout the rest of my undergraduate career. This skill was not only useful in subsequent classes and research internships, but also on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). I took the MCAT in my junior year of undergraduate study and scored in the 100th percentile – I attribute a large portion of my success on that exam to the scientific literature reading, graph interpretation, and data analysis skills I obtained through my time at the Prišić lab.

Experiment Design and Scientific Writing:

During my time at the Prišić lab, I wrote and was awarded funds for 2 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) projects. To author these proposals, I had to first gain a solid understanding of the rationale behind each method and each control being used to justify the funding of their respective supplies. I feel that this experience allowed me to develop a more intimate awareness of the experimental design process and a better grasp of the logic it is built upon. Additionally, participating in UROP gave me the opportunity to improve my scientific writing skills as it was vastly different from the writing styles I’d learned through my English classes before.

In addition to the aforementioned skills, I believe that research is also a good exercise in time management, persistence, attention to detail, and presentation skills. In summary, the skills that one can obtain from having an early and invested engagement in research are widely applicable and (in my opinion,) very valuable – I wholeheartedly recommend that any student with a vested interest in science take the time to explore these opportunities.

We are undergraduate students from the University of Richmond and were offered the opportunity to research in Dr. Prisic’s laboratory and present our findings at the 2021 SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) Symposium at UH Manoa.

Our experience in Dr. Prisic’s laboratory deleting individual Alternative Ribosomal Proteins not only introduced us to the vast realm of microbiology but also piqued our curiosity in the field of biology. We came into Dr. Prisic’s lab hearing about the techniques used in laboratories in class, however, applying them helped us truly visualize and get the essence of the field of what working in a real lab is like and the fundamentals of the field of microbiology.

We are very thankful for the extent to which Dr. Prisic and Endrei have mentored us since they let us make our own mistakes and learn from them. Not only did this research experience allow us to grow academically, but also helped us grow personally. Navigating the island of Oahu has made us come to appreciate the beauties of nature and adopt the “Aloha Spirit.” We have come to respect our Earth and notice the importance of building community. Over the course of these two months, we have felt the good intentions individuals on this island have and we are going to propagate that back home. 

I think that doing research at the Prišić Lab has enabled me to not only expand my working knowledge and understanding of science, but to also grow as a person. Through the course of my UROP project, I've had the chance to work with a truly inspiring graduate student mentor, learned biology concepts and techniques ahead of my classes, and collected lots and lots of data on bacterial growth! I even made many new friends here who share the same passions for science that I do! But my biggest takeaway from this experience was learning how to fail. Although that may sound negative at first, the truth about research and science as a whole is that new discoveries and groundbreaking innovations are the minority. Your experiment may not go as planned. You might spend hours doing protein purification only for the material to be unusable. But I do not say this to discourage you at all, rather, to all those possibly interested in a career in the sciences (or health!), I strongly encourage you to take part in research as frequently and as early as possible. Though it may feel discouraging at times when things do not work out, you'll become a much stronger person for it, gaining a greater appreciation for the scientific process as a whole and for the sheer complexity of life. 

Research is vital in developing an understanding of pathogens and diseases that impact the lives of millions of people across the world. As a pre-medical student, I believe that doing research in Dr. Prisic's lab will allow me to become a better physician by doing hands on work in the lab and studying these pathogens. Research is important because advancements in modern medicine would not be possible without it.