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From my first day at NIG, I suspected the coming months would offer me a wealth of experiences both inside and outside the laboratory. By the end of the summer, my suspicions had been wholly confirmed. In my work at NIG, I engaged with the process of scientific inquiry more fully than ever before. Though I had done lab-based research in the past, I had never been given the combination of responsibility, freedom, and support afforded me at NIG. Provided my own bench and desk, I helped launch a new long-term project aimed at discovering the extrinsic factors that govern patterning of a family of receptors involved in development. Charged at the beginning of the summer with a general question to answer, I was given both latitude to follow my own ideas and support when I hit roadblocks in my project. When I came up with a new idea, my colleagues in the lab, armed with an extensive knowledge of the relevant scientific literature to date, could tell me whether my idea was worth pursuing, give me useful articles to read, and suggest experiments I might use to test my hypothesis. Thanks to their background in the field and the lab's generous resources, my colleagues could often immediately furnish the techniques and materials necessary to pursue my research plan. They also helped me interpret my results and determine worthwhile follow-up experiments. As I worked through this process, I developed entirely new dimensions of analytical thought. More than ever, I began to think like a scientist. I also gained proficiency in a host of techniques in genetics and neuroscience that will be useful in my future research. Some were taught to me at the beginning of the summer; others I learned as they became necessary for exploring new directions in which I decided to take my project. Among many other techniques, I learned to culture neurons, create images and video recordings of cells under a confocal microscope, use a micromanipulator, generate recombinant mutants, and perform antibody staining of cultures and organisms. Working with my project advisor Dr. Takeo Katsuki, I also helped develop and refine a method for transferring Drosophila midline cells to neurons in culture through micromanipulation. In addition to the benefits associated with my research work, my experience at NIG included chances to learn about Japanese language and culture. The other interns and I were provided weekly Japanese lessons that helped us communicate when we ventured outside the walls of NIG. During breaks and daily tea time, my colleagues and I had lively discussions about topics ranging from the Japanese parliament to varieties of anime. With friends I made at NIG, I climbed Mount Fuji, went out for karaoke, and attended festivals and fireworks shows. My three months at NIG both furthered my development as a scientist and increased my understanding of the world. I could not ask for a better way to have spent my summer. |
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