Shadowing and observing the research scientists at TRIPM (Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine) at GMU for the past 3 weeks has been an incredible experience.
TRIPM is equipped with the latest equipment and technologies, including a Zeiss confocal microscope and digitized detection machines for DNA and proteins. The projects that the team of scientists is working on focus on lung and breast cancer. The goal is to understand how breast and lung cancer cells escape the toxic effects of drugs. Carefully planned out experiments are done on the cancer cell lines, in order to observe the different behavior, the survival and the changes in the phenotypes of the cells.
Getting a hand on experience in the lab during this summer has been very exciting. I got to practice the core laboratory skills, which made me realize just how important mastering these skills are and the kind of the precision you need for experiments. This summer training gave me an excellent exposure into the field of cell biology.
Name: Najia Ul Huda
Training Site: Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, GMU
Observation Period: 15th July – 11th August 2018
Major: Biomedical Science
Expected Year of Graduation: 2021