Scholar's Journal
For the past year and a half, I have worked in the Bertozzi Lab studying the characteristics of cell surface carbohydrates. In other words, I think sugars are cool. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Mina Bissell lab at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL). Much of my time throughout the summer and during the school year has been spent riding the bus to LBL. The rest of the time I have invested under a hood doing cell culture. One particular cell line I work with requires more attention then most women I have met. I can only hope those cells have taught me a thing or two.
During the summer I worked about 50-70 hours a week, including most weekends. Lab time tapers off during the school year to about 15-20. The relationships I have developed within the Bertozzi and Bissell have been great. I participated in a summer softball league with the Bertozzi Lab, and our team finished in second place. Although I wish we could have won it all, the softball league was a lot of fun. The lab also gets together to play other sports, go to the gym, to eat,, and to do other fun activities. Its nice to take a little break once in a while from lab work.
I intend to graduate in the Spring, while writing my theses in both History and Biochemistry. Hopefully, I will also attend two conferences next semester. I plan to go to a Glycobiology conference in San Diego, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Orlando. Attending conferences are exciting, and I suggest that any undergraduate who has the opportunity will attend at least one.
I am going to miss Cal, and all the great people here. If anyone has questions about undergraduate research, please feel free to ask me. Oh yeah, much thanks to Carolyn, Mina, Chrissy, David, Eva, John Muschler, and everyone else in both the Bertozzi and Bissell labs.
