This intellectual stimulation, coupled with a desire to discover more about life’s mysteries, compels me to pursue a career in scientifc research.
This summer, I worked in a cardiology laboratory at UCLA, looking at proteins associated with HDL to understand how atherosclerosis can be averted. After some experiments provided questionable results,
I was given the task of confrming that the viruses we were working with had been packaged and identifed correctly. I spent weeks running
DNA gels, looking for specifc genes in each virus, but my results were inconsistent. I was frustrated, but instead of giving up on my assignment, I was even more determined to fnd an explanation. I considered every aspect of the experiment, working backwards until I reached the …show more content…
Knowing this, I was able to alter my experiment accordingly, looking at protein content instead of DNA sequences. I fnally showed that two of the three viruses were correct; the third, however, needed to be repackaged. My work was crucial to the undergraduate student I was working with, because he was able to redesign his experiment to account for this third virus.
Working in a lab was an exhilarating experience for me. Even though
I gave up lying on the beach to instead play with viruses and chemicals, the compulsion to understand these proteins inspired and motivated me. I am tremendously proud of the piece I contributed to the atherosclerosis puzzle: a small piece, but integral nonetheless. The sense of accomplishment I felt because of my work in the UCLA lab was much the same as that which I felt upon completing the 3,000 piece puzzle my grandmother gave me. This feeling is one I hope to experience throughout my life, because the atherosclerosis puzzle is most assuredly not the last such puzzle I will work
This summer, I worked in a cardiology laboratory at UCLA, looking at proteins associated with HDL to understand how atherosclerosis can be averted. After some experiments provided questionable results,
I was given the task of confrming that the viruses we were working with had been packaged and identifed correctly. I spent weeks running
DNA gels, looking for specifc genes in each virus, but my results were inconsistent. I was frustrated, but instead of giving up on my assignment, I was even more determined to fnd an explanation. I considered every aspect of the experiment, working backwards until I reached the …show more content…
Knowing this, I was able to alter my experiment accordingly, looking at protein content instead of DNA sequences. I fnally showed that two of the three viruses were correct; the third, however, needed to be repackaged. My work was crucial to the undergraduate student I was working with, because he was able to redesign his experiment to account for this third virus.
Working in a lab was an exhilarating experience for me. Even though
I gave up lying on the beach to instead play with viruses and chemicals, the compulsion to understand these proteins inspired and motivated me. I am tremendously proud of the piece I contributed to the atherosclerosis puzzle: a small piece, but integral nonetheless. The sense of accomplishment I felt because of my work in the UCLA lab was much the same as that which I felt upon completing the 3,000 piece puzzle my grandmother gave me. This feeling is one I hope to experience throughout my life, because the atherosclerosis puzzle is most assuredly not the last such puzzle I will work