Dayoung K.

During my AP biology class, I didn’t feel much of a sense of experiencing something. There were texts and videos that explained all of the scientific definitions and methods, however a chance to experience them was so slim. And I can proudly say that the Fred Hutch Cancer Center Pathway Program has led me to release this desire and greatly helped me investigate furthermore. ‘This is my first hands-on experience’ might be a common reply, however I believe where we need to focus on is why most students have a similar response. Although there are limitations for what a school can do, I believe these kinds of experiences must be further known to become an early chance to truly know what a scientist or healthcare related jobs are like. 

My favorite part of the Pathway Program was being able to experience actual scientific methods. Gel electrophoresis and CRISPR activities have made me significantly understand better about a day in a lab and how they can be integrated into experimental procedures. In AP biology, I’ve heard plenty about gel electrophoresis, but I believe no other laboratory would help me understand it so vividly. Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory technique of using electric circuits to separate DNA, RNA or protein molecules according to their electric charge and size. For the length of this program, gel electrophoresis was integrated in various activities. One of the activities was CRISPR, a gene editing technology that enables altering specific parts of a DNA sequence to inhibit or express a specific gene. This method requires a guide RNA that marks the specific part to be cut, target DNA with PAM sequence, and a Cas 9 protein which is the site where the cut is made. In the lab, we settled up the gel for gel electrophoresis, and loaded CRISPR samples to each designated well. In the end of this activity, we were able to analyze data according to how much each sample had moved to either side, as shown by the image.

I also want to thank the guest speakers about sharing so much information about the healthcare and research field. I definitely feel more confident about a realistic approach towards my dream careers. The breaktime activities were also brain-stimulating and so much helpful to us in various ways. I wish the best luck for the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and am looking forward to participating in related programs and supporting the continuation of these inspirational programs for the future students. This experience has led me to so much amazement, teamwork and knowledge and I am very grateful to become a part of it. Thank you!

Fred Hutch Learning Lab

Agarose gel from gel electrophoresis