How New Terps Are Finding a Love for Research
It was January 26, 2018 and I had just opened my computer to an acceptance letter from the University of Maryland.
It felt like a dream come true, everything I had worked for in high school was finally paying off. As I continued to read through the letter, I learned that I had been accepted into a program called FIRE: First Year Innovation and Research Experience. I was overwhelmed by this offer. At the time, I was unsure about my academic interests and what form my college experience would take. My parents, however, urged me to accept my spot in the program, noting that it was an honor and an accomplishment. I accepted, nervous and uncertain about the future, but little did I know how much this program would shape me both as a person and a scientist.
The FIRE program is designed to give students hands on research experience under the supervision of a faculty member as well as peer mentors who have been in the program previously.
The first semester, I learned the basics of data analysis, completing projects utilizing excel and other computer programs. In the second semester, I selected a “stream” where I chose a specific area of research to focus on. The stream that I chose was immunogenetics, centered around the humoral immune system and the genetic basis behind it. In this semester, I learned basic laboratory skills needed for a career in research, such as pipetting, serial dilutions, and bacterial plating. In the third semester, I worked with a group of my peers to develop an original research project which was carried out to completion.
Our project compared the relative immune response of male and female D. melanogaster (fruit flies) after a gene known as Rbfox1 was silenced.
In order to silence Rbfox1 we used a process called RNAi (RNA interference). RNAi is a process by which double stranded RNA is cleaved by an enzyme called Dicer. The smaller pieces of RNA bind to a protein called Argonaute, removing one strand of RNA and leaving a single strand which can bind to the gene of interest. When the single stranded RNA binds to the gene, it degrades it, blocking expression (1). Flies were then injected with Staphylococcus aureus to simulate an infection. In order to quantify the immune response we performed a polymerase chain reaction and tested the expression of two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs): Dpt and Drosomycin. We found that there was overall reduced expression of AMPs in mutant flies where Rbfox1 was silenced compared to wild type flies where Rbfox1 was expressed. This indicated that the Rbfox1 gene played a role in the immune response of D. melanogaster. However, we did not see any notable differences in AMP expression between male and female flies, indicating that sex did not play a role in the fly’s innate immune response.
Besides the technical skills which I learned from this experience, I learned a great deal about the trials and tribulations which come with conducting research.
Many people think that research is a straight line from start to finish, but this experience proved to me that while roadblocks are inevitable, they create some of the most valuable learning opportunities. One story that comes to mind occurred during my third semester while my group was working on our unique research project. Before conducting experiments on the flies, we needed to conduct certain crosses to ensure that they had the correct genetic makeup for the RNA interference to be functional. Our group assumed that our faculty advisor would conduct the crosses for us as that was what typically occurred. However, we had just begun working with a new faculty advisor who was unaware that the flies needed to be crossed.
Waiting for the flies to mate and produce offspring set us about two months behind schedule, offsetting our time line.
During those two months of waiting, it became very difficult to stay engaged in our project. We spent a lot of time reading papers, collecting references, and helping out with other groups’ projects. The wait was well worth it as we were finally able to conduct successful and meaningful research. However, this experience taught both myself and my group members a number of lessons. First and foremost, we learned about the importance of communication in research. Any successful lab has several moving parts, and it is crucial to communicate both with team members and advisors about each person’s needs as well as the progress being made. Another important lesson which we learned was how valuable the behind-the-scenes experiences which come with conducting research are. Through reading other papers and collecting references, we were able to gain a clearer understanding of our own research and developed a new appreciation for it. While working through that roadblock with my group as well as our faculty advisor, we built a stronger bond as a team and were able to complete our project efficiently.
When I think about my time in the FIRE program, I feel extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of such a formative experience.
This program solidified my own career goals while broadening my knowledge of a topic that interests me. I hope to use my knowledge and experience to kickstart my own career in research and apply my passions to the real world. Through the FIRE program, I learned how much more there is to research than completing a project. The ability to collaborate with fellow students who have the same passions as me made me feel I was part of a community of smart, driven individuals. My group members as well as my other peers in the program inspired me to grow as a student, scientist, and individual. My advice to all incoming students interested in research would be to take advantage of the FIRE program and all it has to offer. I hope that my experience can be an inspiration to other future scientists!
References:
- “How RNAi Works — RNAi Biology: UMass Medical School.” University of Massachusetts Medical School, 3 Nov. 2013.
