Clash of The Titans

During this week I began to notice a trend of increasing time spent in the lab. On Monday, as I mentioned, I spent my day cleaning tubes to be used for the RNA extraction that would be the primary responsibility for the next couple days. If I had to choose a moment in the whole process that was particularly eye opening it was when the RNA separated itself from the DNA and other assorted flotsam.

After three grueling days my shoulder was sore beyond belief, but Friday brought with it a different use for my time. I began the day using a web DNA catalog named BLAT (not misspelled BLAST), but I soon received a call from my advisor Mario in which he explained that in 15 minutes there would be a presentation given by Nobel Prize award winner Andrew Fire and that I needed to get to the other side of campus as quick as possible. The presentation was amazing, granted most of it was way above my head. The part that really spoke to me was his prediction of the iSequencer which would enable researchers to simply place their iPhone in the solution and subsequently receive their desired DNA sequence from it. Creation of such technology is almost certainly underway at Apple.

After a couple more hours of mind numbing computer work, I remembered my meeting with my PI was just around the corner. It is a rare opportunity to get to actually talk to Vicki only because her time is devoted mainly to her new position in the Moore foundation of Chief Program Officer. I will admit I was worried that unless I somehow demonstrated impressive ingenuity within the first 10 minutes I would find myself in hot water, so it came as a shock when she asked me how I was doing. Such a compassionate question from someone so powerful, I could not believe my ears. From that point on the minutes ticked by and we just shot the breeze exchanging stories ranging from weekend activities to the lack of power actors have in deciding the final product of a scene.

Shortly after that uplifting experience , I made my way to the Friday Lab meeting. It is always interesting to find out what the other members of the Chandler Lab are working on. The presenter was a lady who I had seen around named Maureen, and her work was focused around the BRCA1 gene. In my biology capstone I learned that this gene is connected to breast cancer, and has been in the spotlight because of the supreme involving the Myriad company and its patent on a early detection procedure. I won't go into detail there, but it is a strange situation indeed.

This meeting, like the others I have been present for, was filled with comments and suggestions from other members of the lab. Because of my lack of expertise in the subject area, I was not able to completely follow the presentation or actively participate in the conversation, but as a result I was able to see the lab meeting from a perspective I doubt any of the others present could. What I experienced can only be described as a bona fide intellectual flex off. The effect was that the meeting became a think tank of impressive proportions. Two hours later the members of the Chandler lab re-emerged from the dimly lit presentation room ready to put their plans into action.