A brief review of your research activities for the week:

This week, I was with other lab members on getting images of the cells we transfected with Scarlet and Turquoise. The previous week, we had tried to get images of these cells, but they were contaminated, so we needed to redo the process we did the previous week. This week, we seeded a new batch of cells. I learned how to count cells using a hemocytometer and trypan blue. Based on the number of cells in the plate, we calculated how much cell solution we needed to put into smaller imaging plates. We put the necessary amount of solution in each plate, put some media in each plate, and put the plates in the incubator and let them stay there overnight. The next day, the cells were transfected. Luckily, they were not contaminated and we were able to collect images. 

We also froze HeLa cells for future use. To do this, we put the cells in a centrifuge and let them spin for 6 minutes. At the end of the spinning, the cells were in a clump at the bottom of the tube. We took out the old media from the tube, and put ~1 mL of a special media for freezing. This solution was put in the -80 degrees freezer – these cells are saved for future use. 

What tasks or goals did you accomplish? What do you still plan to accomplish?

I was able to collect images of cells that I needed for my poster. At this point, I have all the data I need to complete my poster, so I can spend the next week working on my poster. 

What challenges, if any, did you face this week and what steps did you take to overcome those challenges?

The biggest challenge this week was figuring out what was contaminating the cells. However, once we knew what the problem was, we were able to transfect a new batch of cells that did not become contaminated. 

Anticipated plans for the following week:

Although I will not be spending as much time in the lab, I plan to spend the next couple of weeks working on my poster. I am very glad to have been a part of the Laidlaw program. I feel like I learned a lot - this was a great experience!