With next week being the final week of our internships along with the poster symposium on Friday things are beginning to wrap up with assignments.

 

Monday 22JUL2024:

Monday was spent gathering the results of the previous tests for progress on finding the optimal parameters for cutting the wires into a PowerPoint. This would help focus the tests into a direction. After work, I went back to my apartment to try and finish a presentable version of my poster. I was not able to finish in time and submitted what I had, which was just plans for the layout.

Tuesday 23JUL2024:

During our weekly meeting, we went over our posters for peer review. Unfortunately I was not able to finish a presentable version of the poster, so there wasn’t a lot that anyone could comment on due to the fact there wasn’t much there to begin with. I spent the rest of the day running a total of 54 tests with different parameters. One group of tests had to be redone the next day.

Wednesday 24JUL2024:

I was able to join in the lab meeting after imaging the tests from the previous day. Afterwards, the last of the wire parameter tests were cut and full length wires were glued to an aluminum plate to be cut using the laser machine tomorrow. I also spent some time at my apartment working on gathering what information to put in the poster.

Thursday 25JUL2024:

The last of the tests were imaged and I had learned about some of the researchers in the lab recently testing positive for covid. I remembered that during the meeting, one of the participants had been coughing severely and had to step out for a moment. So after I ran the wires to be cut for the day, I went home to work on my poster and started to feel what I thought were symptoms. Because of this I went to get tested at a minute clinic and the results were negative for covid. However, other respiratory issues arose and I went to have a chest X-ray. The symptoms got better and it appeared to be a minor sinus infection that turned into a minor upper respiratory infection, which may have triggered an asthmatic reaction. Overall, a series of unfortunate events that made it near impossible to get any work done.

Friday 26JUL2024:

Friday was setting up more full wires to be cut in the machine as well as getting ready to image the previous wires, as well as perform data analysis for creating a retinotopic map of the visual cortex of a mouse. In which I was able to get results to put in the poster. My PI had also informed me that he was thankful for my work during the internship and that after I was done with schooling, and if I wanted to come back to continue research, that he would be happy to have me on board. I was very happy to hear this, as it meant I had been able to contribute substantially to the project in some way. Which was one of my goals for the internship. My mentor and I also introduced one of our coresearchers to how the laser cutter worked. I ended the day with setting up the next batch of wires to be cut and went to get my prescription for the asthma before heading home. (Which was unfortunately denied due to insurance related shenanigans)

Overall a busy week, with a rough last two days. I’m hoping to get the poster done over the weekend before submitting the final version next Monday.

[End of Post for Week 9]