Elizabeth’s BioBlog

It may be my last semester in the BioMinds program but it certainly is not the end of my project. Looking back on my past two semesters I realize that research is a lot more challenging and time-consuming that one might think as a novice. However, it is definitely worth the effort. Finally being able to see for myself the magnificent myopodia in action is just the beginning, but what a wonderful beginning for me! The semester has barely started and I already know that it will be full of great progress.. and more important.. RESULTS!!! This next few months I hope to be able to do in vivo  injections of various antibodies to cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that are critical to neuromuscular synaptogenesis. As we identify and characterize the distribution of these CAMs we will be a step closer to understanding their individual roles in the process of creating the neuromuscular synapse. 

All the work and effort of past semesters are the base on which we can now work on. Our final objectives could’ve never been reached without setting up the microscopes, taking care of our Drosophila population, installing gas lines, and of course all the hours of practice of managing tiny little embryos and fussy little larvae. 

This semester I will be fine tuning my skills in needle pulling and beveling, in vivo embryo injections, and of course (my favorite) fluorescence confocal imaging. All of these techniques require lots of practice and dexterity because of all of the variables involved in each step. It is interesting and somewhat fun the hours of trial and error one goes through before getting it right, but after you are able to master it, everything else will just fall into place.