Eric JordahlJunior Molecular Biology major As a second semester Junior, I can honestly say my time at Pitt has flown by already. It is crazy to me that I only have a year left, and I will be applying to Graduate Schools in the fall. However, my path to get here was not one that I expected…. At all. As a freshman, I entered Pitt with a plan to go to medical school, get my MD, and become a pediatric cardiologist, working closely with sick children, trying to make them healthier. I have a passion for this even today, and I was ready to make it my plan for the rest of my life. However, in November of 2018, my freshman year, I joined the O’Donnell Lab, here in the Department of Biological Sciences. Had I known the impact this lab would have on me for the rest of my career, I would have tried to jump onboard even sooner! I started in the O’Donnell Lab as many other undergraduates do when they start in a lab, as a lab aide. I washed dishes, made media and stock solutions, racked test tubes and pipette tips, and so much more. Yet, no matter how boring and monotonous some of this stuff could be, it gave me a strong foundation from which to start in the lab. I learned where everything was kept, I was able to communicate with my lab members, and as time went on, I learned more and more about what it was that the lab studied and how exactly we did that. I have talked to so many undergraduate researchers that followed the same path that I did, and most of us agreed, even though the time we spent as a lab aide was not the most exciting, it was rewarding in its own way. After a few months with the O’Donnell Lab, I was already starting to branch into more research, rather than more lab chores. I began working on imaging experiments, extracting plasmids from bacterial cultures, culturing yeast, and so much more. When I returned from summer break, now as a sophomore, I started on full time research, working on the Evolutionary Rate Covariation Project to identify novel cargoes of the trafficking adaptor proteins, α-arrestins. Within this project, I am working to implement a technique known as Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC), in order to visualize the protein-protein interactions between an α-arrestin and a membrane protein, Fat3. BiFC involves the splitting of the fluorescent protein, VENUS, into two halves, the front half of the protein (known as the N-terminus and shortened to ‘VN’) and the back half of the protein (called the C-terminus and shortened to ‘VC’). When VENUS is expressed in the cell it is a green fluorescent protein variant but when split in half, neither VC nor VN fluorescence. However, when the two halves of Venus come in proximity they can bind together, which restores the fluorescence of the fluorophore. I have created this figure below to help with understanding, so hopefully it will help you all as well. My work in the O’Donnell Lab has had a tremendous impact on me and given rise to many opportunities for me in the field of Cell Biology. I have presented posters, given oral presentations, attended conferences, and even received awards and fellowships from my research. I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge outside my major coursework, and I could not be happier with the information I am learning. I have interacted and worked with people from different labs and disciplines in order to complete my goals, expanding my network and my people skills. I truly would recommend seizing the opportunity to get into research with anyone that asks or has it available (which everyone at Pitt does, if you put yourself out there). Without the people and research in the O’Donnell Lab, I would not be as confident in my future goals as I am now. I have found my calling in lab research and found a home in the field of academia. I can truly express my passion for research and knowledge, while also possibly teaching at the collegiate level, if I would like to. Graduate School has so much to offer, and I am excited at the prospect of finding my niche in the research community and sharing my research with a passionate group of people. Until then, I will continue to work hard on my classes and research, all preparing me for what is ahead, and I am so excited to see where it takes me. If anyone has any questions about my journey, me, or my research please feel free to reach out, my email is [email protected] If interested in the research my lab performs, you can also check out our lab website www.odonelllab.com
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January 2022
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