Summary of VECR Experience
Sharing my thoughts
The Fred Hutch VECR is the first online program I’ve attended that dedicated itself to teaching students more about science and cancer research. In a few weeks, I’ve been exposed to various science careers, ongoing cancer research, and have had opportunities to listen to scientists discuss their respective fields.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed many dynamics in terms of how we communicate, and having discussions through zoom calls was definitely an interesting experience. Through this online setting, I was able to meet students who shared my interests, and the amazing people in my team; also known as The Jazzy CO2 Converters.
My time in VECR has been one of the most inspiring, as I learned more about science through a different environment. Through VECR, I’ve been given the opportunity to connect with other students and scientists to learn more about their careers, further sparking my interest to pursue a career in science in the future.
The Jazzy CO2 Converters
My amazing group mates!
Our breakout room discussions are definitely one of my favorite parts about VECR. It was awkward at first, but after a couple breakout sessions we were able to get to know each other better and have fun.
The first breakout session was definitely the most memorable. We were playing an icebreaker in which we were grouped in pairs, and had to ask our partner questions through the chat function on zoom; the catch was we had to do it in our breakout group! We laughed endlessly as we stared at one another furiously type our questions, and collectively panicked once we saw the timer hit 60 seconds. It then became a habit for us to panic once the 60-second timer showed up, because often we wouldn’t be finished with a task, or are almost always in the middle of a discussion.
I’ve enjoyed the time I spent with this group, as each session always brought plenty of laughs and a light-hearted environment. I have too many stories to share but too little space to write, but being a part of The Jazzy CO2 Converters is a memory I’ll always cherish moving forward.
VECR Highlight
Most impactful moment
Fred Hutch Career Panel, with career panelists:
Liszet Bigelow, Community Health Educator focused on Urban Populations
Monet Jimenez, Graduate Student in Basic Sciences
Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Vaccine and Infectious Diseases
On Thursday, August 6, VECR had a career panel with 3 amazing women in science as panelists: Liszet Bigelow, Monet Jimenez, and Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan. All three women shared stories about their science careers and current research, and gave pieces of advice to students who wish to follow a science pathway in the future. I was incredibly intrigued by their stories, and hearing their own experiences further sparked my interest in pursuing a career in science.
To this day, I’m still unsure of the career path I want to pursue in the future and where my passion truly lies. Hearing Monet’s story about her struggles to choose a path between medicine and science resonated with me, as it made me realize I wasn’t the only person who’s experienced such an issue. In her talk, Monet highlighted the fact that she’s switched her majors on multiple occasions, beginning with medicine then eventually settled on neuroscience. Her experiences with each study determined if she wanted to pursue it as a career, and she encouraged students to not be afraid of switching majors or careers. She said, “Jump around your interests. If you’re not completely into one thing, don’t be afraid to switch to another. This will help you find your true passion.”
Monet has been a graduate student for quite some time, but all the while she took advantage of opportunities available to her that helped her find her passion for neuroscience. These included internships, volunteer work, or simply reaching out to people in fields she was interested in to learn more. She encouraged us to take advantage of the opportunities present, and don’t hesitate to reach out to others. She told us, “If you’re interested in a career and see someone online who you can contact, reach out to them! It’ll benefit you in the long run.”
Her story gave me a better understanding of how I should handle choosing my major and career, as for the longest time I’ve been treating it as a one-time decision. I’ve always thought once I pick my major I wouldn’t be able to switch, and I’m stuck with something I may not entirely enjoy doing. Seeing someone who’s switched on multiple occasions makes it a less daunting and scary decision to make.
I chose the career panel as my VECR highlight for many reasons. I was inspired, and received many amazing pieces of advice that I can take with me later on. Their stories and experiences made me realize that science can come in many forms, and that there’s no one “correct” pathway to become a scientist.
One of the speakers, Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan, shared her story about finding a way to learn about HIV and pursuing a career related to it from a country who didn’t have the resources to provide her with that education. Despite the obstacles, she worked hard and moved to the United States to accomplish her goals. Raabya said, “Anything can be earned through hard work and dedication. If you put your mind to something, your results will be a reflection of what you’ve accomplished. After all, no one is like you, but you!”
Her words inspired me, and it was amazing to see how far hard work can bring you. I greatly appreciated this panel, and many of the words the career panelists shared resonated with me. Their stories motivated me to work harder to accomplish my goals, and to pursue my true passions in life through the art of discovery.
Science Behind a News Story
Scientists Involved
Brains behind the experiment
In this study, the main experiments were led by Dr. Jesse Bloom and other scientists in the Bloom Lab. One of these scientists is Dr. Adam Dingens, a research scientist under the Bloom Lab.
The Bloom Lab actively researches virus evolution to address a range of basic and medical questions. They observe how viruses change and mutate over time, to better understand how viruses escape from immunity and drugs. Their research relates to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a virus with a high infection rate and no vaccine to fight it.
The Bloom Lab PI, Dr. Jesse Bloom, is an Associate Professor in the Basic Sciences and Public Health Divisions at Fred Hutch. Bloom studies evolution using viruses and viral proteins as models, and aims to understand the constraints of evolution through the lens of molecular biology. With his background knowledge on influenza, Dr. Bloom along with the Bloom Lab are major contributors to the ongoing research to the development of a vaccine against COVID-19.
Images from the Fred Hutch website.
Antibodies and COVID-19
Experiment summarized
Illustration of Y-shaped immune proteins, known as antibodies, swarming a coronavirus (Illustration by Getty Images)
In this study, researchers are focusing on the role of antibodies in the immune system and how they can fight off COVID-19 in patients. Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulin, are large Y-shaped proteins meant to neutralize harmful pathogens in the body. In response to the pandemic, scientists are working towards developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Most vaccines work by stimulating the production of antibodies against viruses and bacteria, neutralizing them to prevent further infection in the body.
Many ideas were tested throughout this study, but all relate back to this overarching question: “Does pre-existing immunity guide or misguide our immune response? In other words, do they help us fight off the infection, cause damage or do nothing at all?”
Dr. Jesse Bloom began with a comparison of the infection rate between children and adults. His hypothesis was that children are immune to COVID-19 due to past exposure to similar viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. He developed a test to check for pre-existing antibodies through “sera” in children, and Hutch researchers led by Bloom also developed a test to determine how well antibodies performed against a harmless virus, or a “pseudovirus.”
The main focus of these experiments is to find an antibody that targets a specific part of the coronavirus spike known as the receptor binding domain, or RBD. The RBD on the coronavirus acts as a lock pick to a receptor known as ACE2 on the surface of human cells, allowing the virus to enter and begin replicating. After numerous experiments, researchers were able to isolate a potent antibody from a COVID-19 patient who recovered, labeled CV30. It’s extremely effective in blocking infection, and the results from this experiment will definitely help with the production of a coronavirus vaccine moving forward.
Experiment Significance
Reasons for the study
The study covers antibodies in COVID-19 research, and it’s important for many reasons. We’re all currently in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, and almost everyone is counting on a vaccine to help control the rate of infection. Developing a vaccine isn’t easy, and it requires continuous research and experiments. This study shows that scientists are currently finding ways to find the necessary antibodies needed to neutralize COVID-19, which can be used to develop a vaccine or antibody therapeutics against the coronavirus and treat infected patients. This study is crucial at this time, as the current number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
I came across this study while looking for something related to the coronavirus pandemic. I read through a couple of other studies before settling on this one, and they all covered a different aspect of research regarding the coronavirus. Out of the ones I read, I chose this specific study as it provided the most detail and promise in regards to our current situation. Researchers involved in this study were able to isolate a potent antibody from a COVID-19 patient who recovered, and can potentially be used towards a vaccine against COVID-19. This article left me with a little bit more hope about the world recovering from the pandemic, knowing that a vaccine to fight against COVID-19 was well under way.
Diagram of SARS-CoV-2 entering a cell, replicating its DNA, and exiting the cell with more duplicated viruses (Credits to Scott Burk, @scottburke777 on Twitter)
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