A saguaro.
I've never seen such blue skies as in Arizona.
We stopped on the way back and ate some prickly pear fruit.
Hiking along the bottom of the canyon at the beginning. 
Thursday, August 20, 2009
More pictures from the hike to Seven Falls
Where water would be flowing if there were enough monsoon rains.
Hike to Seven Falls with my lab on the last day
A blooming fishhook barrell cactus.
I had the best lab. Seriously. They were friendly, down-to-earth, patient, and inviting. Instead of making me work on my last day in Arizona, we hiked Seven Falls. It was beautiful, and a really neat hike. It was undoubtably also the hottest hike I've ever done in my life. We hiked through a canyon, crossing a dry riverbed several times until we arrived at our destination--Seven Falls. A 7-tiered waterfall that flows if there have been enough summer monsoon rains. Unfortunately, the waterfall was not flowing, but there was a pool of water at the bottom which we decided to go swimming in because it was so hot. The water was deliciously cold and refreshing before we headed back to La Indita for a delicious lunch of chiles rellenos. Craig and Nathaniel, you rock!
Yeah, that's that's how hot it felt.
I had the best lab. Seriously. They were friendly, down-to-earth, patient, and inviting. Instead of making me work on my last day in Arizona, we hiked Seven Falls. It was beautiful, and a really neat hike. It was undoubtably also the hottest hike I've ever done in my life. We hiked through a canyon, crossing a dry riverbed several times until we arrived at our destination--Seven Falls. A 7-tiered waterfall that flows if there have been enough summer monsoon rains. Unfortunately, the waterfall was not flowing, but there was a pool of water at the bottom which we decided to go swimming in because it was so hot. The water was deliciously cold and refreshing before we headed back to La Indita for a delicious lunch of chiles rellenos. Craig and Nathaniel, you rock!
Poster Presentation
With my poster...that my outfit matched...
Making a scientific poster was so much more work than I had ever realized. I worked on it for at least two weeks, and made numerous revisions. The end result looked nothing like the beginning draft, let alone the version that I had a few days before the presentation. Craig helped me so much, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without him. The introduction was basically my abstract. Below that, I had a diagram of the model we were basing our hypothesis on. Next came the results section (all the charts), conclusions, and finally, acknowledgements (who funded the work). It was a challenge to fit everything nicely, and put something together that would make sense to someone who hadn't spent their entire summer doing research on ligands and BTC3 cells. I was also amazed at the cost of printing one of these posters: $50-$100!
The day of the presentation went well. I felt like I was able to explain my work well, and felt like I had accomplished something this summer.
Making a scientific poster was so much more work than I had ever realized. I worked on it for at least two weeks, and made numerous revisions. The end result looked nothing like the beginning draft, let alone the version that I had a few days before the presentation. Craig helped me so much, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without him. The introduction was basically my abstract. Below that, I had a diagram of the model we were basing our hypothesis on. Next came the results section (all the charts), conclusions, and finally, acknowledgements (who funded the work). It was a challenge to fit everything nicely, and put something together that would make sense to someone who hadn't spent their entire summer doing research on ligands and BTC3 cells. I was also amazed at the cost of printing one of these posters: $50-$100!The day of the presentation went well. I felt like I was able to explain my work well, and felt like I had accomplished something this summer.
Bisbee/Tombstone
Bisbee is an art community...this was outside someone's house.
Inside the copper mine. It was freezing inside!
An open pit mine.
Tombstone...it was the biggest tourist trap I've ever seen in my life.
During our last weekend in Tucson, we visited Bisbee, a mining community turned artist community. We saw an open pit mine, then went on an underground tour of a copper mine. It was really interesting. On the way back, we stopped in Tombstone...which was rather underwhelming and disappointing in its tourist trapness. :-(
During our last weekend in Tucson, we visited Bisbee, a mining community turned artist community. We saw an open pit mine, then went on an underground tour of a copper mine. It was really interesting. On the way back, we stopped in Tombstone...which was rather underwhelming and disappointing in its tourist trapness. :-(
The biggest spider I have ever seen...hanging out in the microscopy suite of my lab.
This spider hung out in the room I worked in every day. And then we took it outside, and another one was back the next day...so I gave up, and we peacefully coexisted.
Binding Assays
A binding assay I was working on. I was pretty proud of this image that I took. :-)
During my last couple of weeks, I did a lot of binding assays on the BTC3 cells. We wanted to find out how well the heterobivalent ligand that we had created would bind to the cells at different concentrations, from 2.5 nM all the way up to 100 nM. We also measured how well it would bind if it was in competition with one of the monovalent ligands.
First, the heterobivalent ligand was labeled with Cy-5 (a fluorescent dye). We measured its binding (which had a high affinity and bound tightly) at different concentrations, then using new cells, would incubate them with a monovalent ligand for five minutes to take up all the receptors for that ligand, then add the multivalent ligand. We found that while binding was diminished, it was still high and tight, showing that our ligand bound with great specificity and tightness. My data was in the form of imges such as these, which I used to analyze pixel intensity, which correlated to binding of receptors. The flourescent outlines of the cells shows that this ligand bound to the cell's receptors.
During my last couple of weeks, I did a lot of binding assays on the BTC3 cells. We wanted to find out how well the heterobivalent ligand that we had created would bind to the cells at different concentrations, from 2.5 nM all the way up to 100 nM. We also measured how well it would bind if it was in competition with one of the monovalent ligands.First, the heterobivalent ligand was labeled with Cy-5 (a fluorescent dye). We measured its binding (which had a high affinity and bound tightly) at different concentrations, then using new cells, would incubate them with a monovalent ligand for five minutes to take up all the receptors for that ligand, then add the multivalent ligand. We found that while binding was diminished, it was still high and tight, showing that our ligand bound with great specificity and tightness. My data was in the form of imges such as these, which I used to analyze pixel intensity, which correlated to binding of receptors. The flourescent outlines of the cells shows that this ligand bound to the cell's receptors.
Bike Prayers
Sunsets are also good times to pray and think.
I biked about two miles to work every morning. After deciding that riding a bike on speedway while listening to an ipod wasn't such a great idea, I decided to use my bike rides to pray and think. At first, I felt awkward with what seemed like a long time to talk to God, but after a while, I started to really look forward to the time, using it to thank Him for the many ways I am blessed, pray for friends and family, and give Him my worries. The coolest thing began to happen: I would feel very strongly led to pray for a friend that I might not have even thought about for days or weeks, then talk to them later that evening and find out that something had been going on in their life that they needed prayers for at the time I was praying for them. God is awesome. The more you seek Him, the more you will find and the more you will want to seek.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
--Psalm 37:4
I biked about two miles to work every morning. After deciding that riding a bike on speedway while listening to an ipod wasn't such a great idea, I decided to use my bike rides to pray and think. At first, I felt awkward with what seemed like a long time to talk to God, but after a while, I started to really look forward to the time, using it to thank Him for the many ways I am blessed, pray for friends and family, and give Him my worries. The coolest thing began to happen: I would feel very strongly led to pray for a friend that I might not have even thought about for days or weeks, then talk to them later that evening and find out that something had been going on in their life that they needed prayers for at the time I was praying for them. God is awesome. The more you seek Him, the more you will find and the more you will want to seek.Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
--Psalm 37:4
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Border issues...not so black and white
The water tanks left out in the desert by Humane Borders.
The wall on the border of the US and Mexico, built by the US.
Flag above a water station.
In the beginning of July, we took a trip to the border to learn about the issues surrounding illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. By the end of the trip, I realized just how much more complicated the issue was than I had ever imagined.
In the beginning of July, we took a trip to the border to learn about the issues surrounding illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. By the end of the trip, I realized just how much more complicated the issue was than I had ever imagined. Many of these people decide to make the trip to the US in desperation from extreme poverty. They want to be able to help family members survive. I have a friend from New York who told me that in Mexico, he would work for $5 a day. In the US, even working at minimum wage, he was able to send money to support his family in Mexico. These people are not making the trip to try to steal rights from Americans or be crafty and get around the system. Just like us, they care about their families, and will do anything they can to improve the lives of their loved ones.
The trip across the Sonoran desert is long, harsh, and unbearably hot. Most have no idea how much water they will need to just simply stay alive in the desert, let alone while walking the many miles to the US. And far too many die from lack of water. To add to this problem, the US is building a wall along the border. This does not have the desired effect of keeping people from crossing the border, it just forces them into even harsher and more unforgiving terrain where they are more likely to die and their bodies even less likely to be discovered.
Humane Borders is the organization that we traveled to the border with. This organization, run by a church in Tucson, puts out water stations in the corridors that are most traveled by the immigrants to try to prevent unnecessary deaths. The sad fact is that some vigilantes dislike the idea of illegals so much that they tamper with the water in the tanks.
I've learned that it's not about politics, it's about people's lives.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Tucson Tamale Company aka: The Best Food in Tucson
The Madison and Tucson flavors, with rice, beans, and tomatillo salsa. Deliciousness!
Tucson has some really good Mexican food. But the best food I've eaten the entire summer has been at the Tucson Tamale Company. It is well worth the two bus rides it takes to get there. This place seriously has something for everyone: whether you are a vegan or meat-eater, or need to eat a gluten-free diet, you can find a delicious tamale that will satisfy you. To date, I have eaten at least 14 tamales. My favorites are the Tucson (grilled jalapenos mixed into the masa then stuffed with a blend of 4 cheeses) and the Madison (black beans, roasted corn, and cheese blend). You can get two (big!) tamales for $4.99. If you're ever in Tucson, seriously, go there.
Tucson has some really good Mexican food. But the best food I've eaten the entire summer has been at the Tucson Tamale Company. It is well worth the two bus rides it takes to get there. This place seriously has something for everyone: whether you are a vegan or meat-eater, or need to eat a gluten-free diet, you can find a delicious tamale that will satisfy you. To date, I have eaten at least 14 tamales. My favorites are the Tucson (grilled jalapenos mixed into the masa then stuffed with a blend of 4 cheeses) and the Madison (black beans, roasted corn, and cheese blend). You can get two (big!) tamales for $4.99. If you're ever in Tucson, seriously, go there.Thursday, July 9, 2009
4th of July Parade at Summerhaven
The entire group. We were dressed as (from left): a electrophoresis griffin with an attached glial cell, nematode, albino mouse, computer, chick embryo, plant, paramutated corn, Beaker, smooth muscle cell/Biospherian, Manduca Sexta. Couldn't you tell? :-P
Our prize for Most Original.
The PCR song...oh yes, one such thing actually does exist... Check it out on youtube if you are still curious.
Beaker! This is probably half the reason we won...
:-)
What do a griffin, Manduca Sexta, paramutated corn, and Beaker all have in common? They were all members of UBRP's prize-winning parade group in Summerhaven on July 4th. We arrived on Mt. Lemmon by midday after a rousing van ride practicing the PCR song and eating cherries and coffeecake, and climbed into our costumes. We were a motley group whose costumes seemed to confuse the public (however this is understandable as most of us do readily mistake the griffins in our backyards for chickens or turkeys). We scoped out the competition of bagpipers and the Yankee Doodle group of cute children while formidibly shouting "tRNA!" and "Biology!". To make up for the lack of sparkle-covered ponies and adorable kids in our group, we handed out candy to children with winning phrases such as, "Do you like candy? See, science gives you candy. Do science." and "Science invented sitting down". We knew our message had gotten across when after the parade, a child saw our group and shouted to us, "Go science!" We were rewarded for our efforts with a blue ribbon for most original. It must have been the PCR song that clinched it... PCR, when you need to detect mutations, PCR, when you need to recombine...
What do a griffin, Manduca Sexta, paramutated corn, and Beaker all have in common? They were all members of UBRP's prize-winning parade group in Summerhaven on July 4th. We arrived on Mt. Lemmon by midday after a rousing van ride practicing the PCR song and eating cherries and coffeecake, and climbed into our costumes. We were a motley group whose costumes seemed to confuse the public (however this is understandable as most of us do readily mistake the griffins in our backyards for chickens or turkeys). We scoped out the competition of bagpipers and the Yankee Doodle group of cute children while formidibly shouting "tRNA!" and "Biology!". To make up for the lack of sparkle-covered ponies and adorable kids in our group, we handed out candy to children with winning phrases such as, "Do you like candy? See, science gives you candy. Do science." and "Science invented sitting down". We knew our message had gotten across when after the parade, a child saw our group and shouted to us, "Go science!" We were rewarded for our efforts with a blue ribbon for most original. It must have been the PCR song that clinched it... PCR, when you need to detect mutations, PCR, when you need to recombine... Sunday, July 5, 2009
Grand Canyon/Sedona/Montezuma's Castle/My parents rock
The Grand Canyon is just as breathtaking and amazing every single time.
Sunset at the canyon
:-)
Montezuma's Castle..a cliff dwelling.
Sedona...we didn't see very much of it because we decided (semi-spontaneously) to keep driving and go to the Grand Canyon.
My parents came to visit about two weeks ago and we had a wonderful time!I got to give them a tour of my lab and explain what I'm working on. Over the weekend, we drove to Jerome, a ghost town with an interesting history, then headed up to Sedona. Once we got to Sedona, we decided that it would be worth it to continue driving to the Grand Canyon because we were so close anyway. That was a fantastic decision to make because it was absolutely amazing, like always. I think that even if I saw the Grand Canyon every single day, it would never cease to blow my mind.
We drove back to Jerome to spend the night, then went to Montezuma's Castle, a cliff dwelling the next morning. It was pretty neat. On our way back to Tucson, we stopped in Phoenix and had fun getting together with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. It was a really fantastic weekend and I was sad when it was time for my parents to leave.
My parents came to visit about two weeks ago and we had a wonderful time!I got to give them a tour of my lab and explain what I'm working on. Over the weekend, we drove to Jerome, a ghost town with an interesting history, then headed up to Sedona. Once we got to Sedona, we decided that it would be worth it to continue driving to the Grand Canyon because we were so close anyway. That was a fantastic decision to make because it was absolutely amazing, like always. I think that even if I saw the Grand Canyon every single day, it would never cease to blow my mind.We drove back to Jerome to spend the night, then went to Montezuma's Castle, a cliff dwelling the next morning. It was pretty neat. On our way back to Tucson, we stopped in Phoenix and had fun getting together with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. It was a really fantastic weekend and I was sad when it was time for my parents to leave.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Immunocytochemistry
Lately in the lab, I've been doing a lot of Immunocytochemistry (ICC). It's a time-consuming process that ends hours later with a few prepared microscope slides to show for your work. The whole point of ICC is to determine whether or not the cells you're working with have certain antigen or receptor. In order to do this, we use antibodies that target specific peptide or protein antigens in the cell.
To start the process, I'll fix the cells I'm going to be testing with a solution of paraformaldehyde. This basically stops everything that's going on in the cell at the moment it's fixed. Then, I'll wash the cells (we grow them on coverslips) twice with a glycine wash to remove the paraformaldehyde. Next, I'll use a permeabilizing solution on the membrane. Finally, it's time to put on the first, or primary antibody, which will go on the cells, in an extremely diluted form (antibodies are extremely expensive...like hundreds of dollars for a quantity that is 1 milliliter or less). This antibody will be left on for the amount of time the researcher chooses, then is rinsed off in preparation for the secondary antibody. When selecting a secondary antibody, it is important to choose one that works with the primary that you used. For example, if the primary antibody was created in a goat, I'd have to choose a secondary antibody that has anti goat IgGs. Attached to the secondary antibody is a fluorophore (compound that makes a molecule fluorescent). This allows us to see whether the antigens exist. After the secondary antibody sits for an hour, the coverslips are washed 3 more times, then mounted onto microscope slides and allowed to dry. Finally, they can be viewed. I use the microscope and camera to view the slides. If the edges of the cells are glowing, this means the cells do indeed have the antigens the primary antibody tested for.
To start the process, I'll fix the cells I'm going to be testing with a solution of paraformaldehyde. This basically stops everything that's going on in the cell at the moment it's fixed. Then, I'll wash the cells (we grow them on coverslips) twice with a glycine wash to remove the paraformaldehyde. Next, I'll use a permeabilizing solution on the membrane. Finally, it's time to put on the first, or primary antibody, which will go on the cells, in an extremely diluted form (antibodies are extremely expensive...like hundreds of dollars for a quantity that is 1 milliliter or less). This antibody will be left on for the amount of time the researcher chooses, then is rinsed off in preparation for the secondary antibody. When selecting a secondary antibody, it is important to choose one that works with the primary that you used. For example, if the primary antibody was created in a goat, I'd have to choose a secondary antibody that has anti goat IgGs. Attached to the secondary antibody is a fluorophore (compound that makes a molecule fluorescent). This allows us to see whether the antigens exist. After the secondary antibody sits for an hour, the coverslips are washed 3 more times, then mounted onto microscope slides and allowed to dry. Finally, they can be viewed. I use the microscope and camera to view the slides. If the edges of the cells are glowing, this means the cells do indeed have the antigens the primary antibody tested for.
more pictures from the saguaro fruit harvest
Catching a falling saguaro fruit...
A really big cactus...
It's harder than it looks!
A random picture of waiting for the bus after a successful Trader Joe's grocery shopping trip.
Walking back to the camp as dusk fell after harvesting saguaro fruit.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Saguaro Fruit Harvest
To harvest the saguaro fruit, one person uses a long pole made out of a saguaro rib (they're inside the cactus, kind of like strong sticks that are the skeleton of the saguaro) to knock the fruit to the ground while the other person holds the bucket and tries to catch the falling fruit.
Eating saguaro fruit! It tastes like a very mild strawberry with lots and lots of black seeds.
The saguaro fruits are the green knobby things on the cactus. Some of them are open and you can see the red, seedy fruit inside.
You can practically feel the heat just by looking at this picture...
The first couple fruits that we collected.
This week we went to the reservation of the Tohono O'odom out in the middle of the desert to learn about and participate in the saguaro fruit harvest. We learned that these people believe the saguaro to be their dead ancestors, and the harvest is a very special time. However, this is a tradition that is largely dying, because many of the people can't take the time off from work to spend more than a month camping in the desert to harvest the saguaro fruit.
This week we went to the reservation of the Tohono O'odom out in the middle of the desert to learn about and participate in the saguaro fruit harvest. We learned that these people believe the saguaro to be their dead ancestors, and the harvest is a very special time. However, this is a tradition that is largely dying, because many of the people can't take the time off from work to spend more than a month camping in the desert to harvest the saguaro fruit.
Harvesting goes like this: one person uses a long saguaro rib to hit the fruit down from the cactus, while another person stands beneath with a bucket to catch the falling fruit. It was fun, but also hard work.
After harvesting, we cleaned the fruit, which entailed peeling off the outer green covering to reveal the bright red seedy fruit beneath. We then ate a traditional meal of beans, homemade tortillas, and cholla (it's a type of nasty cactus) buds (which tasted an awful lot like artichokes).
As dusk fell, we listened to stories about the traditions of the Tohono O-odom people and marveled at the millions of stars that twinkled brightly in the black sky.
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Violin!
Last week I bought a violin! I had decided not to bring my flute with me to Arizona, but lately had been feeling really empty without being able to play music. I decided to check out renting an instrument, but Lindsay from my lab told me about a shop that consigns guitars, ukeleles, violins, mandolins, and other instruments, so I decided to check it out after work one day. After plucking the strings of several violins, I found one with a sound I liked, and saw that it wouldn't cost much more to buy the violin than to rent an instrument for a summer. I rode away, holding my new violin case in one hand, while still trying to use my bike brakes. I got quite a few interesting looks riding down Speedway with a violin case hooked through a handlebar, but made it back mostly in one piece. I'm excited to get to play again!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Work, Food City, and Various Thoughts...
Sun going down behind the train tracks...
Food City is our favorite grocery store! It's the best place to buy super cheap Mexican food, just make sure you know how to speak Spanish, because your transaction with the cashier will probably not be in English.
My bike ride back to my apartment on Speedway...it's a pretty busy road, with a great mountain view.
Entrance to the Medical Research Building, where I work. I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone sitting at these tables... ;-)
The past few weeks have mostly been a big blur. At work every day, I either take care of my cells, feeding or splitting them, do experiments (which is basically taking pictures of groups of beta cells with a microscope/computer at specific timepoints, with variables of glucose concentration and after adding different ligands or drugs used for insulinoma), or analyze the data from the experiements using DOS and Excel. Tomorrow I'm going to learn immunocytochemistry.
The past few weeks have mostly been a big blur. At work every day, I either take care of my cells, feeding or splitting them, do experiments (which is basically taking pictures of groups of beta cells with a microscope/computer at specific timepoints, with variables of glucose concentration and after adding different ligands or drugs used for insulinoma), or analyze the data from the experiements using DOS and Excel. Tomorrow I'm going to learn immunocytochemistry.The highlight of our week is the trip to Food City on Friday nights. The grocery store is...more than a little sketchy. It's about a mile and a half walk from our apartment, in a strip mall with a "Factory 2 U", "Dollar General" (where we got our potentially deadly pan), and a "G Town". We all stock up on our tortillas (made fresh daily!), Mexican cheeses, avocados, limes, cilantro, and all the other specialties of Food City while practicing our Spanish (most of the signs in the store are in Spanish). On Saturday, we figured out the bus system, which is not fantastic, by any means, but it got us to the mall, a used bookstore, and CVS. On Sundays, I usually ride my bike to church (3 miles each way, in the hot, hot sun), then go swimming, and get in some relaxation time.
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