Nicholas Massenburg, Entry #3, Getting the Pace and learning from mistakes

My time in the Jordan-Sciutto lab has been extremely enjoyable thus far, and that is truly a testament to the laxity of the people in the lab. Of course everyone is extremely bright and serious about their work, but they never allow this to take away from the important social aspect of the lab. We do a wide variety of activities as a unit to build relationships and to promote productivity of everyone's project, which will include a hiking trip this Saturday (I unfortunately can't go due to prior commitments). Usually we go out to lunch at least once a week, or meet in the conference room for a simple lunch get together. Quite honestly, coming into EXP, I did not think I would enjoy the social aspect of the lab this much. It has truly been a pleasant surprise.

One interesting thing I have taken away from this experience is the competitiveness of Biomedical Science, specifically when it comes to meeting deadlines, because many people may be doing the same project or studying the same pathway at any given time. This is very true in the field of HIV- associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), a relatively new field of only about 10-20 laboratories in the US. A paper published about 4 years ago (and one I used for prep this summer), written by a rival of my lab in partnership with another UPenn lab, was torn apart in our lab meeting this past Thursday. Watching the discussion was both exciting and extremely hilarious, as I had never seen people get so heated over the discussion of proteins in my life. The scientists in the room went back and forth with one another, some in support of the paper's claim that there is minimal difference between the outdated HIV encephalitis (HIVE) and the more prevalent HAND, others in outright disagreement. I even got to add to the discussion, and was able to solidify understanding of the topic for some undergraduates, who had less time to prepare than I did (thanks to EXP).

About four days ago, our project was set back due to someone leaving out my colleague Cagla's RNA samples. This set her back personally even longer, as the samples were something she needed for a project she was doing to receive funding for her work. This led to a long in lab discussion about etiquette and respecting other people's property, something I have found is very important in the field of lab science especially in shared spaces. Thought it wasn't me who left the samples out over night, the experience has nevertheless hardened my understanding of the importance of touching only what is yours, and only when you are given permission.

I am very excited to see what is in store for my last 3-4 weeks, as we start to get closer to proving our hypothesis through experimentation. I know this project has pushed this lab in a new and positive direction, and I cannot wait to see what implications it may have in the field of HIV research down the line.

Lunch with Dr. Peretz was also really nice, as I got to see Joe and Julia as well. I am looking forward to Dr. Venanzi's visit to my lab next week!