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Department: Plant Pathology More Information A Hughes Scholar Guide to Doing Research in the Lee labThis past summer I have been researching in Dr. Kwangwon Lee’s Plant Pathology lab in Bradfield Hall. Our lab is interested in studying in fungal circadian clocks, and how they are related to pathogenic behavior. It has been a fantastic learning experience for me. However, when I first entered the lab, I did not have much research experience so Dr. Lee wanted me to first develop important lab habits. I had been hired as a lab worker to do basic lab chores such as making media, cleaning glassware, and picking spores. These weren’t the most exhilarating tasks, but it definitely helped me learn basic skills crucial for research such as organization and sterility. Coincidently, it allowed me to appreciate how much more exciting conducting actual research is.Once I gained more experience and took BIOBM440, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab, I was given my own project. My project is focused on characterizing a gene called Magnaporthe grisea frequency (mgfrq) in the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. A typical day in the lab for me involves performing several types of molecular biology procedures, such as Southern hybridization in order to analyze genomic DNA, and Northern blots, which analyzes mRNA. I have also learned PCR and real-time RT-PCR. For the most part I don’t work with actual fungal samples, although when I do, the worst part is worrying about spore release into the air and causing contamination. Because our lab is tiny (about five people), it was necessary for me to be accustomed to working independently. Although it would have been much easier for me if someone in the lab had held my hand through every procedure, I felt that I gained so much more as a researcher by making my own mistakes and learning from them. |