Fred Hutch Pathways Explorers Program in one word is extraordinary. The program is packed full of advanced experiments, captivating speakers and lectures, unique lab tours and a sense of community you cannot find anywhere else. Your experiences here will give you skills and knowledge that are hard to come by anywhere else, as well as an understanding of how to pursue a career in cancer research. Additionally, you will experience the diverse community within Fred Hutch and witness the impact they are having on communities both locally and around the world. This is a truly a one-of-a-kind program that you will never forget.
My favorite experience during this program (and it is hard to pick just one) was the CRISPR/Cas9 experiment, because it combined many of the scientific procedures we had learned about into an experiment with a research-applicable purpose. This experiment began with using PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, to amplify a specific section of DNA. PCR works by denaturing DNA into single strands, and using specialized DNA sequences and polymerase to replicate this DNA. Then, we built the CRISPR/Cas9 complex to cut the DNA we had amplified. We did this by building the Cas9 complex, using gRNA that brings the complex to the target sequence and Cas9 endonuclease that cuts at that sequence, and incubating it with our PCR product. Finally, we tested our CRISPR by using gel electrophoresis to measure the DNA fragments and confirm that the DNA was cut at the predicted location. I enjoyed this experiment the most because getting to perform CRISPR, after hearing about it in the news and from scientists and teachers I respect, was something I never thought I would be able to do. In addition to understanding the process, I was able to apply that understanding when listening to lectures by the scientists pioneering the cancer research that utilizes CRISPR. It was incredible to not only learn about but truly experience the impact of the discovery of CRISPR on the scientific community.
One of the things I was most fascinated by during my time at Fred Hutch is the complexity of the organization. Every person working here is researching something that will contribute to the overall goal of a cure for cancer. Though taken in isolation, individual work can seem to have a small scope at times, but it proves even what might seem to be obscure research always connects to the goal of a cure for cancer. I discovered this when meeting the scientists that work at Fred Hutch. There is a study on every scientific question, from “how do viruses cause cancer?” to “does the 3’ untranslated region of mRNA have regulatory effects that, when translated, influence cancer?” Scientists at the Hutch work with an unimaginable amount of tools, methods and processes that are all brought together to further progress towards curing cancer. This diversity of research made me realize the sheer volume of what goes into cancer research. In the media, people talk about a cure for cancer as if it is one thing, but it is rather a collection of every type of science imaginable. For this property, I would compare Fred Hutch to a living organism, in the way it's constituents work together to keep it alive, and even one missing piece could bring it to a halt. I believe this is the beauty of science, and the beauty of cancer research, and this program has shown this to me.
This program will open doors and bring you opportunities that are invaluable to you. After completing these two weeks, I feel inspired and excited for science, cancer research, and what I can do in the future to contribute to scientific advancement. I am so thankful to have been here. Finding out I was accepted into this program was a dream come true. I hadn't expected to be chosen, as I knew it was a competitive program, and I was sure I was not qualified for the program. But, here I am, writing a blog post after being chosen for the first session. So, if you are thinking about applying, I greatly encourage you to! Give it your all, show the SEP team you are passionate about science, and never doubt yourself. You never know what might happen.
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