What do you expect from your summer research experience?
Coming to college, I had an inclination to study biology. After reviewing the biology major here and what it entails, I saw that Duke offers many concentrations in different focuses within biology. Seeing this led me to search for what area of this subject I was most interested in. I knew that one way to do this was to dip my toe into research.
This summer, I am working with the Dong lab which studies plant immunology. Something that I am learning is that research doesn’t just involve thinking about problems and knowing facts (although this is quite important), but it also includes knowing lab techniques. Working here, I have acquired skills in PCR, gel electrophoresis, soil preparation, plate creation, and more. The talk during our BSURF workshops was also helpful in how to delve into reading research papers. This skill is one that I definitely needed to learn as I am going through resources now in order to aid my summer research project’s next steps.
This summer, I am expecting to gain a realistic view of the scientific process in the day to day proceedings. I am looking forward to gaining more technical skills so that I can be more adept in a lab setting. Finally, I hope I will gain knowledge on the world of biology and its scientific community so that I can have a better understanding of my options for possible future endeavors.
