More Western Blots

So far, this third week has

been the most hands-on week yet. On Monday, we did very little because both the Western Blot tests and the IHC tests require several days to sit and develop. On Tuesday, the Western Blots that we started last week were ready to finish. In order to complete the Western Blots, we had to add the antibodies. These antibodies help simulate the environment inside the body. The attached picture is the antibody packets. Each packet contains one Western Blot membrane that has proteins stained onto it and a white antibody solution. After being shown how to make the packets, I finished the rest. Filling these antibody packets made me wish for a third hand.

Thursdays are becoming more hectic. Normally, the lab is only filled with myself and two graduate students. On Thursdays, three more undergraduate students show up. This results in three to four different projects going on at the same time. I helped one of the graduate students by labeling 140 small test tubes. Although this was tedious, it is an essential part of the research process. One thing that I have noticed is that everything is meticulously labeled in order to prevent confusion and safety hazards.

Overall, this week has been very productive. Next week I will be going through the required safety courses and becoming certified to work in a University of Arizona lab. Once this is finished I should be able to do even more in the lab.