John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
For eleven weeks this summer, I worked as a lab assistant and student researcher in a biological sciences lab at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. The lab, led by Dr. Michelle Tallquist, studied different aspects of fibroblasts, a type of cell that provides structural framework in the body and plays a role in synthesizing important proteins, such as collagen. My mentor, Dr. Juwon Park, focused specifically on the role of a gene called transcription factor 21 (TCF21), which is critical in forming different types of fibroblasts in the lung. She specifically analyzed the effect of losing the gene on lung structure and function using mouse models. In order to assist her in collecting data while also learning to carry out independent experiments, my three projects were closely related to her field of study.
First, I compared the production of different proteins in normal mice with TCF21 to mutant mice without the gene using a technique called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), which measures the expression of different genes by tracking their speed of amplification. I repeated this experiment several times using samples from mice at different ages, from embryos to 18 days old. This allowed me to both quantify the amount of TCF21 expression in the mutants versus control mice and determine how it correlates to the expression of other genes, which helps establish a cause-and-effect relationship. My experiments focused on a gene that produces of surfactant protein C, a material critical to maintaining lung stability. Because the loss of TCF21 is known to cause defects in surfactant-producing cells, we hypothesized that reduced TCF21 expression should result in reduced surfactant protein C expression, with a greater affect in younger mice. My second project involved using immunofluorescence staining to look at the lineage and development of types of fibroblasts in the absence of TCF21, based on the fluorescent colors expressed by the lung cells. This was the most time-consuming project, as the staining process was two days long and was repeated several times. In order to obtain accurate results, I took ten different images for every sample to count the number of fluorescing cells. My third project was simpler, focusing on the visible lung structure of mice without TCF21. I did this by finely slicing frozen sections of lung tissue onto a slide and used a technique called hematoxylin and eosin staining. This method of tissue staining allows the arrangement of the lung to be visible under a microscope and allow the size and number of different structures to be quantifiable using computer programs. Since previous studies have shown that the lack of TCF21 expression in the lung results in fatal defects in mouse models, we hypothesized that the lungs of mutant mice should show a lack of structural organization and significant underdevelopment. Using a microscope, I took pictures of the stained tissue with the intention of quantifying the structures. Unfortunately, we could not obtain the program in time, so I did not complete this project.
From the start of my internship, I felt welcomed by the other researchers and students in my lab. Everyone was willing to drop what they were doing to assist each other, which created a friendly atmosphere. Once, one of the Ph.D. students took time away from her experiments to walk me through every step of making a 4% paraformaldehyde solution, which required precision and temperature control. It was quite daunting to carry out long experiments on my own, especially when I knew that small mistakes could completely skew the results and waste expensive materials. However, I felt that my mentor and the others treated me like an
actual scientist and trusted that I could obtain accurate
data. I also worked alongside two other undergraduate
students, and although they had different projects, we were able to exchange tips and help each other out whenever we could. Working at the John A. Burns School of Medicine was a wonderful introduction into the world of biological research and allowed me to interact people who were passionate and invested in their work.
I believe that my internship at the Tallquist Lab will be greatly beneficial in the next few years, as I plan to seek more research opportunities at Williams and at other institutions. I hope that having this experience will help me as a candidate for lab positions this next school year and summer, as I have learned many experimental techniques that are widely used in different fields. I have also extracted RNA from many samples, and each time I have improved the yield and purity of the final product. Although I may not use these techniques at Williams, I have become more confident in my abilities as a scientist, not only in analyzing my results, but also in my ability to obtain data with precision. Most importantly, this internship has taught me to independently carry out research and to plan my time effectively. I believe that this skill will be a crucial one to have in my next three years at Williams. My main area of interest right now is organic chemistry, but I am also interested in studying more molecular biology and biochemistry. Although my post-graduate plans are still uncertain, I am now considering a career in biological or chemical research, hopefully in a way that is connected to developments in medicine. I found the lab environment to be collaborative and supportive, and although the work was sometimes very repetitive, I always felt that it was a valuable use of my time. I’m definitely looking forward to finding future opportunities like this one.
I would like to thank the Class of 1972, the ’68 Center for Career Exploration, and Dr. Michelle Tallquist for this incredible learning experience. I am very grateful for their generosity and support that has made this internship possible.
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