Presenter: Hannah Reuning, Cell Biology & Genetics, Global Public Health Scholars
My practicum project involved working in a plant virology lab on campus in the Microbiology building; we study RNA plant viruses, and our current research is focused on plant viruses that specifically infect citrus plants and are devastating the citrus population around the world. I started working in the lab in late April 2019, and used my experience over the summer, from about May to August, as my practicum experience. I worked about 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday, and mostly learned various lab techniques and practices, as well as about the various projects in our lab that people are working on. In July and August, I started working on my own smaller projects that took place over the span of a week or two weeks and mostly served to help the more experienced individuals (ex. Postdoctoral researchers) in the lab.
Hey Matthew, thank you for taking the time to read my poster and listen to my presentation! I'm glad you found it interesting, and I find your idea about connecting lab scientists and public health decision-makers to be very thought provoking.
While I did not specifically brainstorm ways to change citrus production practices as part of my research, it is something that has been on the back of my mind since I began working in the lab. My research on citrus-targeting plant viruses and my experiences in various GPH courses have both allowed me to connect my work to the big picture, so to speak. The courses I've taken for Global Public Health Scholars have taught me to think of…
Hi Reva! Thanks for the positive feedback regarding my poster and presentation. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
A great example of when something went wrong and I had to troubleshoot happened right around the middle of my practicum experience. My mentor Chanyong and I, and Claire Jacobs as well, had been attempting to successfully complete a protocol known as a maxi prep, which isolates plasmid DNA from bacteria. We have a similar protocol called a mini prep which can be completed in about 2-3 hours and yields a small amount of plasmid DNA. If successfully completed, maxi preps are much more efficient due to the high yield of plasmid DNA, but maxi preps are also very time consuming and take…
Hannah, this is really interesting. I'm wondering if as a part of your research, you brainstormed any potential ways to change citrus production practices in order to increase sustainability? It seems like the research you're doing would be a really good insight into how to create systems better equipped to serve workers in low and middle income countries, which would be a fascinating bridge between the lab scientists and public health decision-makers.
Great job, Hannah! Your presentation is well done and very informative. What is an example of a challenge you experienced in the lab in which something in the protocol didn't go according to plan and you had to troubleshoot a solution?