J-term Intensive Research Has Changed my Opinion of what it Means to be a Research Scientist

Preconceived notions about scientists and research had me led to believe that in order to be a good researcher a life of solitude in a lab was inevitable. Stereotypes of the ‘mad scientist’ portray an individual that is overly obsessed with his or her area of study and has little to no personal connections outside of the lab. These stereotypes initially dissuaded my interest in research and led me to believe that if I wanted to have a science career that involved a high level of expertise I was best suited to pursue career that involved interaction with patients and other professionals, such as a doctor. While this is still one of my primary goals, I have gained experience in the lab that has shaped my opinion of life as a research scientist.

Cloning of the zebra fish gene PACSIN 2 has been my primary research focus while at Loras. I have spent nearly three semesters trying to insert PACSIN 2 into pCDNA 3.1⁺ and transform the modified vector into bacterial cells. Initially this appeared to be a fairly linear process that would be used as a tool which is useful in over-expression experiments. Due to my lack of prior experience and the intense nature of my schedule during these semesters I was not able to invest the proper time and energy into the project and began to become pessimistic when I encountered repeated failure at the transformation stage. In order to be able to invest proper time and attention to my project I elected to take the intensive research J-term which would provide me with ample time to accomplish my research goals with the support of my classmates and research advisor.

One week of J-term has passed and my experiences and opinions regarding research are more developed than during the semesters past. Despite the previous roadblocks and obstacles associated with my project I decided to come into the J-term optimistic and prepared to work. The first day of class I was presented with an alternative to the ligation process that I was using in previous semesters. This concept of ligation independent cloning was a stimulating idea and opened my eyes to one of many possibilities to accomplish the same goal.

I was also assigned two other projects that serve as methods to acquire knowledge about the expression patterns of PACSIN 2. These projects fostered teamwork between myself and other members of the research team. The level of cooperation and teamwork that has been required during this term changed my initial stereotype that research is done by an isolationist in a lab.  I have realized that our projects all have something in common and that we work best when we work together. I have very much enjoyed this process and have become very optimistic about my project because I know that the other members of our research team are working toward similar goals and are here to support my research while expecting my support in return. I suspect that research done by professional scientists is performed in this same manner.

While the stereotype of the solitary researcher has changed, my perception that researchers can be literally obsessed with their projects has not changed. During the course of the first week I greatly expanded my knowledge of the PCH family proteins. I found that as the more that I knew regarding my gene as well as the techniques used to study it the more I became drawn into my project.

Now one week has passed and during the second week I find myself constantly thinking about my projects when I am not in the lab. It has become a way of life for the last week and a half, and the more research that I do, the more questions I have. This curiosity fuels my motivation to continue through the term and has led me to be optimistic about a possible research career.

I am currently in the application process to several summer research internships and am very excited to continue to apply myself to this and future projects. This experience has allowed me a window into the life of a researcher and has positively influenced my opinion of research and the process by which it is done. It has also revealed some of the challenges associated with the research process. The life of a full time researcher requires a certain level of obsession with the project that motivates the scientist to stay up to date in their field and put in the long hours that are required to accomplish the project goals.

However, these are not novel revelations about the life of a research scientist. What was most surprising to me was the level of creative and abstract thinking that is required to be an effective researcher. Data interpretation and overcoming project roadblocks require an understanding of the system, patience, and a high level of creative problem solving skills. Prior to this term, I had not thought of this creative capacity as a necessary component to be a scientific researcher.

This unique combination of knowledge, patience, and creativity, requires an individual with an expertise that comes only from experience. I am excited to continue my work for the rest of this term and into the spring semester. This intensive research experience has provided me with a new perspective on the life of a research scientist. I hope to continue research because the more that I know, the more questions that I have and the more interesting the research becomes.