Entries in the Category "GEOL 390"
Looking Back
I turned in two final copies of my grant proposal to Professor Hauck on Friday. It was kind of difficult for me to let go of them because I wanted to make sure everything in my paper was exactly how I wanted it to be. I feel confident though since I reviewed my paper quite a number of times before turning it in. I can't stress how much I want to start my capstone after writing this grant proposal. I have learned so much about how to set up an experiment with mice, that it has made me understand more about the research I am doing with the undergraduate student I work with in the Genetics Lab. A lot of the techniques I talked about in my grant proposal are familiar techniques used in the lab. Overall I have learned that there is a lot of responsibility on the researcher's part when dealing with mice in an experiment. I have gained a lot more respect for the undergraduate student I work with and the other students in the Genetics Lab.
This class was also my first geology class I have taken and I enjoyed it very much. I remember one day in class when Professor Hauck brought up a geology lab course that I am still interested in. I plan on looking into that course for next year. I feel as though I was able to accomplish a lot this semester. I was able to write a grant proposal on a future capstone, and expand my knowledge in the sciences in terms of learning more about geology. I will admit, the first few geology papers we read in class were very difficult for me to read. Yet as the semester went on, and we read more papers, I was able to grasp a good understanding of most of them, and I was also able to connect them to biology and chemistry. I had a great time this semester I am kind of sad to see it's over!
Revising
So I am pretty much done revising my final grant proposal. It has been a long stressful ride at times, but it has been worth it. I added a diagram to my paper in the introduction that specifies exactly how and why CSS mice are effective to work with. I also added a table explaining what each mouse group's diet will be over the course of the experiment. My peers noted that I didn't explain exactly how I will keep track of what each mouse is eating. I have revised this and hopefully made this section more clear. I explain in my proposal that along with weighing each mouse weekly, I will be weighing the remainder of the food given to each group weekly as well to see whether or not the mice are getting a sufficient amount of food (simply, if they are losing weight I will know they are not eating). I also revised my timeline a bit and explained how I will deal with obstacles and possible dead-ends throughout the course of my experiment. I got Dr. Drushel's signature yesterday, and I feel as though my grant proposal is ready to be turned in. Overall I am proud of my proposal, and hope that it works out and I am able to do this project or one similar to it. After seeing the experiment setup on paper, I am more than eager to hopefully get started!
Review Panel
On Wednesday we had our review panel. I must say, it was quite stressful. To think that a person could spend so much time preparing a grant proprosal only to have it shot down is kind of discouraging. Although I was reviewing other students' grant proposals, all I could really think of was "what are the other reviewers saying about my paper?" Although at times I felt scared, I learned a lot in terms of how reviewers go forth in reviewing someone's proposal. There was a lot of great discussion and the comments we gave will help me in terms of making my paper better. So in conclusion, although I found the review panel discouraging at times I am happy I took the risk and truly happy I took this class. Now I know that not all grant proposals are accepted and that those that are not accepted doesn't mean they are bad, it just means they may need major or minor adjusments.
Revising the First Draft
Revising my first draft is harder than I thought it was going to be. I am still wondering if I need graphs or figures to explain certain points in my paper more thoroughly. I found a good picture on orbital sinus venipuncture. This is the technique I will be using to collect blood. I want to ask Dr. Drushel and Dr. Hauck whether or not a picture like the one I found will be worth putting in my proposal. I don't want to add too much more to my proposal in fear that I'll stray away from the conciseness I was trying to get at initially.I feel as though I need more meeting time with my advisors and hopefully that will workout tomorrow.
First Rough Draft
I have finished a first draft of my grant proposal. My biggest worry is that the proposal is not descriptive enough in terms of the techniques I will be using for collecting data. I am also wondering whether or not I need graphs or figures to explain some points better. Professor Hauck and Dr. Drushel have proofread my proposal and have made a few comments. I am now fixing up some parts of my proposal and will be sending the final draft to Professor Hauck on Tuesday morning. I have to admit, I am a little worried about the mock panel we are having where our papers will be reviewed and seen whether each proposed study is feasible and worthwhile. I don't want to get discouraged if people on the panel do not like my proposed study. But life is all about taking risks, and I feel as though this will be a good experience. I'll see how it goes!
Still Going
I enjoyed our conversation in class today. I find that the issue of ethics follows us everywhere in the workplace. The more we questioned what was ethical or not, the more I related the ideas brought up in class to writing my proposal. Professor Hauck brought up a good point in relation to my proposal. He asked me, "How are you certain that your PI who is in charge of breeding the CSS mice, really did so?" The only answer I could think of was that I wouldn't be certain, but my trust in my PI is what would make me confident in my experiment. I don't know if this is a good answer, but I have realized that you need to have an honest and trusting relationship with the contributors of personnel that are a part of the proposal and experiment.
I recently sent a copy of my proposal outline to my advisor for review. I hope she informs me of the different techniques they use in the lab for obtaining insulin levels of the mice. I hope to get a start on my actual rough draft this weekend. I'm excited to see how it turns out.
Proposal Outline
I have written out an outline for my grant proposal. I am happy I did this because now I see where I know the least information about my experiment. I feel comfortable about the introduction to my proposal. I have gathered a lot of articles on old and current research dealing with Diabetes, and the use of L-Glutamine in many fields of medicine. The experiment I am doing is based off an earlier experiment done on B6 mice in 1996. I was surprised to see that there has not been much recent work on the findings of this experiment, but the author has written some fairly current papers on topics related to L-Glutamine and review articles on Diabetes Treatment.
I feel least comfortable about the budget,materials,facilities and support section of my grant proposal. I plan on meeting with my advisor this week to talk about what equipment is already in the lab and what equipment we may still need to get. I am also unaware of specific sample collection techniques that are done in the Nadeau Lab. Thus far I have decided to use old techniques that have been used in many of the articles I read about on B6 mice. I also plan on talking about this section of my proposal with my advisor in the upcoming weeks. I hope everything goes smoothly.
New Direction
Before Spring Break, I was under the impression that I was going to write my proposal on an experiment dealing with investigating the links between Alzheimer's Disease and Diabetes. I looked up many research articles on the topic and spoke with my advisor. Both my advisor and I realized that such an experiment will be limited since most of the research that has been done has dealt with human subjects. My advisor told me that proposing a hypothetical study in humans would be difficult because the only thing I could do would be to test for a certain level of something and associate it with a phenotype or genetic mutation.
Therefore I have decided to stick with a formulated experiment dealing with the mice we have in the lab that I work at. These mice are great to work with because they are Chromosome Substitution Strain Mice. I read an article about the effects of L-Glutamine Supplementation on B6 Mice (which we have in the lab as well). The conclusion of the experiment was that adding glutamine to a high fat diet reduces body weight and lowers hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in B6 mice. My new experimental question stems off this idea and is as follows: Is L-Glutamine supplementation effective in many genetic backgrounds or are there genetic modifications?
Since such an experiment has been done on B6 mice alone, I want to see how many people with Diabetes in the future may develop positive effects from L-Glutamine substitution and whether the effects of L-Glutamine on a person who is diabetic depends on genetic makeup. I will do this by using the genetically modified B6 mice that are in the lab.
I am really excited to read more about the techniques that I will need to use in collecting data throughout the experiment. I hope everything works out for the best.
On Track
I have finally gotten on track with what I want to do for my Senior Capstone Project. Research in Developmental Biology was my top choice, but I was unlucky in finding any open positions. Fortunately, I am currently working in a Genetics lab with a graduate student on Diabetes Research. She has offered to help me formulate an experiment that I could do in the lab with permission from the PI. My goal now is to formulate a well thought out question that I can test in a short time.
When I did research on Alzheimer’s Disease in the Summer, it was always emphasized at support groups and hospitals I visited, that people with Diabetes have a high risk of getting Alzheimer’s Disease. If possible, I would love to be able to study the links between the two diseases. Specifically, I would like to test what genes are affected in each disease and what genes connect the two diseases together. I have also read a lot about Type 1 Diabetes. Many environmental factors have been linked to the onset of this disease. One in particular that interested me was that Type 1 Diabetes may be caused by cold climate. Therefore another possible question I would like to test would be the specific environmental factors such as climate on Diabetes and how specific genes are influenced. Another topic I have read up on has dealt with Gestational Diabetes that comes up during pregnancy. A question that has been tested has dealt with the effects of pesticides on pregnancy. Supposedly there is a link between Diabetes and pesticides and in some cases, Gestational Diabetes and pesticides. Formulating an experiment around this idea would be of much interest to me as well.
Reading more and more about recent research in Diabetes has gotten me wanting to know more and has left me with so many questions I would love to delve into and study. I am meeting with my advisor tomorrow and I hope that with one of my interests, I can formulate a solid question and experiment. I am excited to see what I will be able to do in the lab!
Off Track
I have always been interested in Developmental Biology ever since I was introduced to it in Biology 216. Therefore I would love to have the opportunity to do my Senior Capstone in this field. I recently spoke with Dr. Haynesworth who was one of my professors in 216 about his research on the study of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Unfortunately his lab is not active, so I will not be able to do research with him. Dr. Haynesworth did give me the name of Dr. Caplan who works with Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the study of Orthopedics. I have yet to hear back from Dr. Caplan. I am getting a little worried as I should already have a question formulated by now in my steps toward writing a proposal.
Seeing that there is so little time, I may just find a project solely for the purposes of writing a proposal for class. I work in a lab in the Genetics Department under the supervision of a graduate student. If I cannot get a research position with a professor in the Biology Department at this time, I plan on writing a proposal about the work I am doing in the Genetics Department. I am hoping that everything goes well this week.
Time is Ticking
I really enjoyed Professor Whiting’s research article that we read about in class. The article really made me think especially in terms of the effects the half-life of radionuclides can have on obtaining information on sheet and rill erosion. Although it has been difficult, I have realized that one can’t always think as a biologist when studying experiments performed in different fields of science like Geology. Throughout class I have always tried forming relationships between the two sciences and at times it has helped me, but at times I feel as though it has set me back. I am learning to view the field of Geology now with an open mind. I have always been taught that the best way to approach science is with an open mind, and I hope to carry this idea with me in my Senior Capstone project.
I feel as though my hopes in doing some form of clinical research for my Senior Capstone are dwindling. I have been having a hard time formulating research ideas that I could work with. I need a lot of time to form this type of project in terms of finding a mentor at University Hospitals for example and an advisor from the Biology department. I am still going to continue with clinical research as my first choice. I now have two back up plans if clinical research does not work. I have been e-mailing Biology professors that I have taken classes with to see if there are open opportunities in their labs. I am especially interested in Developmental Biology, and hope to be able to do research in this field. I have yet to hear back from a few professors. I am praying that all goes well in the next few days.
Keeping Up
This last week in class, I found Professor McCall’s research very interesting. Not only did I find it interesting that he is able to intertwine the studies of Ecology and Geology together in his research, but I also found his passion for research contagious. I have been thinking about how important it is for the researcher to be enthusiastic about his or her study while thinking about what I want to do for my own senior capstone.
I want to find a project that will truly keep me motivated and on my feet. This upcoming week I plan on seeing whether the idea of clinical research for my senior capstone will be possible. I am worried that this type of project may not work, but at this point in my journey, I am still optimistic. I was recently looking at various projects undertaken by Biology majors at different universities online. There was a study done on examining the relationship between stress and cortisol levels in children. I found this interesting because in Human Physiology I learned about Cushing’s syndrome which is caused by high cortisol levels in the body. I would find it appealing to do a project on how stress in children could have an effect on the causes of Cushing’s syndrome. I don’t know exactly how something like this could be incorporated into a Senior Project, but I hope to find out this week.
The Journey Begins
I found the research articles we read in class this past week very interesting. I will admit that Professor Saylor’s article on stratigraphic and chemical correlation of volcanic ash beds in Namibia was very difficult for me to understand and I was discouraged at times when I was reading the article. But in class, when we were able to take each section of the article, and look at each figure one by one, a lot of questions I had initially were answered.
I am very interested in Professor Matisoff’s ongoing research. I was amazed by the fact that he was able to use Michaelis-Menten kinetics in his research on Oxygen Concentration in Lake Erie Sediments. I have always thought such a method to be only used in Biology. I feel that now I am beginning to be able to think like a Geologist. I am becoming less narrow-minded in my ideas of ‘science,’ and because of this my curiosity and willingness to learn more in the different fields of science has grown.
Since the beginning of this class, I have been thinking a lot about what I would like to do for my Senior Capstone Project. Visiting Professor Saylor’s and Professor Matisoff’s labs reminded me of the Chemistry and Biology labs I have visited in the past. I find lab work very interesting, but I also have a passion for clinical research. I would love to be able to evaluate the effects and safety of a specific medication or medical device on a group of people in a nearby hospital. I have done a form of literature based research that had to do with a study of web-based design for caregivers of persons with memory problems. The purpose of the study was to find out the top needs of caregivers so that in the future a web site can be designed to help caregivers of persons with memory problems. I found this study very interesting, and I was able to interact with a lot of patients and caregivers in numerous support groups I attended. I plan on seeing what my options are in terms of clinical research at University Hospitals or the Cleveland Clinic and to find an advisor for my capstone in the Biology department in the next few weeks.
Expansion
In high school science classes, I was only ever introduced to Chemistry and Biology. I always found those classes to be interesting, and for that reason I have continued my studies here at Case Western Reserve University in the field of Biology with a Chemistry minor. But as I am now a junior hoping to pursue a career in the medical field, I feel as though I have become quite narrow-minded in my ideas of the word ‘science.’ I believe that in any science profession one should have some general idea of different sciences whether it is the study of the human brain, or the stratigraphic correlation of volcanic ash beds like Dr. Saylor’s research in Namibia. Therefore, I find this SAGES class to be a good introduction to the field of geology. Not only that, but I am excited to get the chance to be exposed to recent issues in the field and see what different researchers in the department of Geology at Case are studying.
On my first day in Geology class, I sat back and admired the comfortable atmosphere. Just sitting and talking with the other students who were Geology majors before class began, I could tell that this course would not be like any Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology course I have taken. The feeling of jumping into something new made me excited yet intimidated at the same time. During class, I was frightened to ask questions because I did not want to feel out of place more than I had felt coming in. But as class went on, and our discussion on the internal structure of Mercury continued, I felt at ease asking more questions and found myself wanting to know more.
I’m driven by the challenges for me in this course. I feel that this is a good start in expanding my knowledge in the field of science. In my hopes of pursuing a profession in the medical field, I believe that becoming more well-rounded and not so narrow-minded in my beliefs, will enable me to relate to patients as a physician on a more personal level.