This week has encompassed everything I have learned and done in the lab since the beginning of this REU. I was in the lab for most of the week, and it was primarily individual work. Before this week started, my mentor and I devised a plan for all the different things that needed to be completed and on what day. I knew that this would be a very busy week so I mentally prepared myself for the amount of patience I would need in the lab. 

On Monday, I truly worked on my own to complete part of our lab procedure. I felt very accomplished and confident to be able to complete such tasks on my own. After obtaining my calcinated samples from a different lab in the same building, I weighed out the samples, placed them in the labeled centrifuge tubes, added the 10 mL to the centrifuge tubes, placed the remaining samples in their respective capsules, para-filmed every capsule and centrifuge tube, and placed the centrifuge tubes on the shaker to shake overnight. I remember his procedure was very overwhelming for me when I first started. However, I feel I have gained more confidence in myself as a scientist in the lab. I also feel happy that I am at a point where I am completely understanding the procedure of our experiments and the purpose for them as well.

Monday, however, was only the beginning of the many things that needed to get done that week. I am usually in the lab for only a couple hours but Thursday required me to be in the lab all day long. For that reason, Thursday was the most demanding day of the week. We had to prepare two PFAS stock solutions, PFOS and PFBA, and create the various samples that needed to be contaminated by the end of the day. Because another intern was working on a similar project, we had different tasks to complete, which meant that we could not collaborate on tasks like we usually do. We each had about 20 samples to create and contaminate. After labeling each centrifuge tube, I had to weigh out each of the samples that needed to be created, which was the longest part of the procedure. I always add slightly too much or take too much, which leaves me in a long repetitive cycle. The rest of the work was not as time-consuming but because we were preparing so many samples, completing our procedure was inherently going to take much longer.

My patience and particularness were really put to the test this week. However, I am excited to be at a point where I can complete parts of our experiment in bulk. As I previously mentioned, who I was at the beginning of this REU and who I am now are vastly different people regarding knowledge, experience, and comfortability. I remember only wanting to shadow my mentor for fear of messing samples up or damaging equipment. However, after coming to an adequate comprehension of the project and our procedure, I have been able to overcome those feelings of uneasiness.