It has been a great week filled with learning and growing as a scientist! Even as a teacher, consider myself a lifelong learner. So, having the opportunity to strengthen my science skills and understanding has been tremendous!
In Dr. Xiao’s lab, We are working a project that is incorporating synthesized non-canonical amino acids (ncAA) (amino acids that are outside of the 20 that occur in nature) to enhance protein thermal stability.
So this week’s activities have included making various solutions, incubating, culturing and plating E.coli cells, sending plasmids samples out for sequencing, analyzing sequences of plasmids to look for incorporation of our mutant ncAA and comparing it to wild type amino acid sequences for the enzyme Beta Lactamase. There’s also many smaller steps in between, and in between each step, I am learning new procedures, calculations and mindsets.
And even though I have been teaching science for years, I had never done something as routine in a lab as using an autoclave. I learned how to operate one this week.
So all around, I’ve been learning lots, and look forward to learning even more in the weeks to come.
This is a picture of me plating a culture of e-coli cells. (And if you at all concerned about the open flame in the picture, don’t be! It’s to sterilize the ethanol soaked tool that we use to spread the bacteria culture onto the plate smoothly.)
One of the greatest things about rice is making stuff fun labs. It looks like great fun. Computation is going to a different experience.
Glad to hear you are learning how to use some new equipment! Learning new tools in the lab is always exciting! That is a great picture! Thanks for sharing!
I have been working with some E.coli too! How do you find the smell of it?…. I happen to love it!
I have been doing stuff similar to you in the lab. I’m getting so much better at micropipetting things and all the small steps you mention make the time go by so fast!
I can’t say that I am fond of the smell of Ecoli, but I am also not repulsed by it. I am also very glad to hear that you are getting better at your techniques! Keep up the good work!
That is a great picture!! Why do you want to enhance protein thermal stability?
Whenever you mentioned thermal stability, I immediately thought of taq DNA Polymerase used for qPCR which comes from the bacteria found in hot springs. Do you know if your lab has ever used genes that come from this organism? Thermal stability is becoming increasingly important especially as global climate change continues in its course. Fascinating work!!