This summer will be the first time I will ever be affiliated with Duke BME. For the last year I have been nearly dead-set on studying biology for my four years as an undergrad, and as such I have gotten involved almost exclusively in biology-related coursework and research. However, (and this ties nicely with what I am most excited about in the coming two months) I have recently begun wondering whether biology is really the right path for me. So, this summer will be the first of a number of explorations into unknown realms for me!
For one, I am going to be working with worms. C. elegans to be exact. This soil-inhabiting nematode is the target for my research project this summer, in which I will be studying bacterial conjugation and its influence on the spread of antibiotic resistance in vivo (i.e. in the living organism, i.e. in a worm’s gut). Under the helpful guidance of Allison Lopatkin, a Ph. D student in the lab, I have primarily been developing this project over the past week. Trying to design experiments using C. elegans has been interesting so far, as the model organism is relatively new to both Allison and I, and it is going to be fun learning how to cultivate and study them!
What I most look forward to this summer is trying a million new things in lab and exploring a subject area unknown to me. I hope that this experience helps to shape my research goals for the remainder of my undergraduate career. Finally, I hope that I may get a better understanding of what it is like to work in the field of BME, as this may become my home for the next four years! I’d like to thank Dr. G and the HHRF staff for making this all possible!
