Day 3 of the SC-ACE bootcamp felt like a turning point. The training wheels were mostly off. The protocols were longer, and the steps were more specific. The main activity was making a Zentriacine solution. Zentriacine is not a real chemical, but that did not matter. The protocol was treated exactly like it would be for any real reagent used in research. The goal was not the solution itself. The goal was learning how to follow a complex protocol without missing anything.
This protocol had more steps than the one we practiced yesterday. Again, we read over the protocol multiple time. I don’t think each step was difficult on its own, but to put it all together with a new tool pretty much overloaded my brain. We had now unlocked a new piece of equipment: a serological pipette. These pipettes were significantly larger and capable of transferring 1 mL to 50 mL of liquid. They required much more control and care. Drawing up liquid too quickly would damage the filter at the top and ruin the pipette. It was also important to know which side of the pipette tip you were looking at. One side of the pipette tip showed the numbers in ascending order (5 mL, 10 mL, 15 mL), while the other side showed the numbers in descending order (15 mL, 10 mL, 5 mL). It doesn’t seem hard, but it’s very easy to get confused. Precision was emphasized. When drawing up the liquid, it was important not to draw up too much extra air. When dispensing the liquid, we took care not to press too hard or fast as that could risk introducing bubbles to the solution, potentially messing up the experiment.
Labeling was emphasized yet again. Every tube needed a clear label with initials, date, contents as soon as it was filled. We also spent a lot of time spraying ethanol. Benches, jars, flasks, and gloves. It was repetitive but fun. Clean technique is crucial, and I enjoyed it.
By the end of the protocol, it was obvious that lab work is not about speed. It is about consistency. Two people can follow the same protocol and still get different results if one of them misses a step, calculates wrong, or is not clean enough.
After the lab work, we talked about how experiments connect back to published research. This led into a discussion about literature reviews.
We learned that primary sources are original experimental studies that include methods, data, and results. These are where new findings come from. Review papers summarize and analyze many primary studies. They focus on patterns, theories, and what the field knows so far. Reviews are often used to get background information before starting a project. Both are important, but they serve different purposes.
We also went over several common research techniques at a high level. This was not meant to be detailed training, but more of an introduction to what exists. Techniques like genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics study large groups of biological molecules all at once. Mass spectrometry is used to identify what molecules are present in a sample. Transfection methods allow DNA or RNA to be introduced into cells. CRISPR is a gene editing tool originally found in bacteria. ELISA is used to detect specific proteins. PCR is used to make many copies of DNA. Flow cytometry and FACS analyze and sort cells. HPLC separates compounds in liquid samples.
These techniques came up quickly and without much depth, but they gave context to the kinds of tools researchers rely on.
Tomorrow is a big day: we finally get to learn how to use micropipettes. Stay tuned!
