My name is Rishi Dinesh, and this summer I was part of the Fred Hutch Pathways Explorers Program. This program allowed me to further my understanding of biology and cancer through a variety of unique experiences in both lab environments and classroom settings.
The Electron Microscope in Dr. Stoddard’s lab.
One highlight of the program was visiting Dr. Barry Stoddard’s lab and seeing the Electron Microscope. In addition to being around expensive and advanced technology, learning about the procedure and process of protein crystallography using the Electron Microscope really intrigued me. I knew that scientists and researchers could see the 3D structure of proteins, but understanding how exactly they do this was fascinating. In short, protein crystallography is a process in which a protein is crystallized and then analyzed through a computer using the diffraction pattern that is caused by the x-rays passing through the crystal. This process which seems relatively simple now has evolved from centuries of attempts to be able to fully analyze the 3D structure of proteins. Furthermore, Dr. Stoddard’s lecture about his experience and career, as well as the advancements in protein crystallography allowed me to understand the complicated process which is simplified using the Electron Microscope. Being able to visit his lab and learn all about his work with the expensive equipment was a privilege and it helped me connect my understanding of structural biology to current research being conducted at Fred Hutch.
Another major highlight of the program was getting to work in the lab. Over the course of the two weeks, we spent a lot of time conducting experiments, through which I was able to hone and improve skills such as pipetting and measuring. However, of all the activities, I found the CRISPR lab to be the most interesting and exciting.
My lab partner, Muso, and I pipetting during the CRISPR lab.
CRISPR is a process through which scientists can edit an organism’s genome to remove, add, or change parts of the DNA sequence. It uses an enzyme known as CAS9 which has the ability to unravel the DNA and cut it. The process also uses gRNA (Guide RNA) which searches for a small section of the double-stranded DNA known as a PAM sequence. The CAS9 enzyme can then follow the gRNA’s instructions accordingly to accurately cut and edit the DNA. Besides just learning about the capabilities of CRISPR, actually being able to simulate the process in a lab was mind-blowing. The experiment was a combination of implementing pipetting techniques which we had been working on throughout the program, as well as testing the CRISPR process which we had just recently learnt about. This made the experiment all the more enjoyable for me and allowed me to appreciate the opportunity to be in the program.
Spending two weeks at the Hutch allowed me to learn about the field of scientific research as well as connect with people my age to further our knowledge of biology and cancer. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this program which helped me grow as both a person and scientist.
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