This document summarizes the author's experience in a semester-long BIOL 4997 Biomedical Techniques course. The course consisted of weekly seminars and workshops in different laboratories on various topics and research styles. As part of the course, the author continued a project in Dr. Bansal's laboratory involving isolating a protein from cell culture using magnetic nanoparticles. The most challenging part of the course was being assigned to an arbitrary team with an uncommunicative partner. Overall, the author learned various laboratory techniques and skills through hands-on experiences in the course, and gained confidence in their ability to succeed in research through dedication and hard work.

1. Reflection of the BIOL 4997 Biomedical Techniques
Peter Lewis Allen, the scholar, author, and educator, said: “Medical research in the
twentieth century mostly takes place in the lab; in the Renaissance, though, researchers went first
and foremost to the library to see what the ancients had said.” This realization is of how research
has changed throughout the centuries is not far from the sad reality we are living. In modern
society, scientist have secluded themselves only to the laboratory work and they have forgotten
that medical research has to start at the libraries. Our mentors and professors promoted the
idea that research has to begin by looking through literature and by studying the topic before
going to the lab to do research. I was once again enrolled at the Research Initiative for Scientific
Enhancement (RISE) Program. This time the course I was introduced to was Biology 4997:
Biomedical Tools.
This course was a crash course on Biomedical and Scientific Laboratory Techniques. It
was a new seminar and workshop each Friday, and believe me it took its toll on us. It was a very
intense semester. Each Friday we would meet at a different laboratory with a different professor.
Each new professor had his or her own topic and research style, with different laboratory
technicians and with different materials and methods. Having the opportunity of meeting six of
the professors doing research on campus was a real privilege. It was great learning about their
research, meeting their staff, and continuing a project with one of them.
The continuation of the projects was one of the major objectives of this course. I had the
wonderful opportunity of continuing my project with one of my favorite mentors: Dr. Vibha
Bansal. In her laboratory, her research team worked with different biochemical aspects and
designed a biochemical project for us. We had to isolate a protein, plasminogen activator; from a

2. cell culture of HeLa Broth utilizing PABA treated magnetical nanoparticles. This project proved
to us many things, but especially it proved to us that with a lot of work and dedication a complete
investigation can be conducted obtaining good results. It also proved to us that research is a very
difficult field and that in order to succeed one must count with three major characteristics:
knowledge, good attitude, and dedication.
This semester had one last major component. If I had thought only for one second that
the different workshops and the continuation of the project would be the hardest part, I was
indeed very, very, very mistaken. The hardest task I was assigned during this semester was
working in teams. Everybody was assigned an arbitrary team and partner for the rest of the
semester. Luckily in my team I had the growing experience of having someone who, under no
circumstances would communicate with me or my teammates. This experience was of complete
growth, professionally, emotionally and intellectually. Because as much as I felt uncomfortable
with the situation, the more I realized that sadly there would always be people like that. Not
everybody is capable of working successfully in teams, and learning to work around those people
is a skill, not only acquired for the class, but a skill acquired for life.
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” This
quote by Albert Einstein summarizes a semester of experiences in research. I learned how to use
an ultraviolet microscope, how to synthesize nanoshells of palladium, and how to collect soil and
water samples. I also learned the aseptic technique and plating skills. I learned how to make
medium for the bacteria cultures, how to analyze water samples, how to polymerize a SDS-Page
gel, Agarose gel and Zymography gel. I also learned how to do a Silver Staining, and how to do
Protein Estimation and Enzyme Activity Calculations. All of this knowledge is a gift for me,
because learning is the chicken soup of the brain. If I am not learning my brain is weak and may

3. become sick. And of all of the knowledge I take to my further courses and research experiences
I take one specific idea in my heart and brain: I can do whatever I set my heart and soul to.