To take my initial steps towards research, I spent the winter during my sophomore year working on a project at microbiology laboratory under Dr. Anil Limaye, Assistant Professor, IIT Guwahati. Apart from gaining valuable knowledge in bacteriology by surveying various literature works, I learned basic techniques such as bacterial culture and transformation. A diverse spectrum of laboratory courses like Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, Biomolecular Analysis Laboratory and Biochemical Engineering Laboratory have trained me in several basic techniques like Plasmid extraction, Gel Electrophoresis, Purification and Estimation of proteins etc. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Lab have helped me attain various bioinformatics skills like Analysis of protein structure and Comparative genomics & proteomics. To pursue my interest in Developmental Biology and Cell Biology, I interned at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai under Dr. Maithreyi Narasimha in summer'2012. During this internship the objective was to find out how Cappuccino protein affects the morphology of ...
I identified the genus and species of an unknown bacterial culture, #16, and I applied the following knowledge of morphologic, cultural and metabolic characteristics of the unknown microorganism according to the laboratory manual as well as my class notes and power point print outs. I was given an incubated agar slant labeled #16 and a rack of different tests to either examine or perform myself; the tests are as follows: Gram Stain; Nutrient Gelatin Test; Carbohydrate Fermentation; Dextrose, Lactose and Sucrose; IMVIC tests; Citrate, Indole, Mythel-Red and Vogues Proskauer test; as well as a Urease and TSI Test. Materials and Methods/Results Upon receiving the Microorganism (M.O.) #16, I prepared a slide by cleaning and drying it. Then, using a bottle of water I placed a sterile drop of water on the slide and used an inoculating loop, flame sterilized, I took a small sample of the unknown growth in my agar slant and smeared it onto the slide in a dime sized circle and then heat fixed it for ten minutes.
The first day an unknown sample was assigned to each group of students. The first test applied was a gram stain to test for gram positive or gram-negative bacteria. The morphology of the two types of bacteria was viewed under the microscope and recorded. Then the sample was put on agar plates using the quadrant streak method for isolation. There were three agar plates; one was incubated at room temperature, the second at 30 degrees Celsius, and the third at 37 degrees Celsius. By placing each plate at a different temperature optimal growth temperature can be predicted for both species of bacteria.
In this lab project, the microbiology students were given 2 unknown bacteria in a mixed broth each broth being numbered. The goal of this project is to determine the species of bacteria in the broth. They had to separate and isolate the bacteria from the mixed broth and ran numerous tests to identify the unknown bacteria. The significance of identifying an unknown bacteria is in a clinical setting. Determining the exact bacteria in order to prescribe the right treatment for the patient. This project is significant for a microbiology students because it gives necessary skills to them for future careers relating to clinical and research work.
“Through the isolation and manipulation of cells, scientists are finding ways to identify young, regenerating ones that can be used to replace damaged of dead cells in diseased organs. This therapy is similar to the process of organ transplant, only the treatment consists of the transplantation of cells rather than organs. The cells that have shown by far the most promise of supplying diseased organs with healthy cells are called stem cells.” (Chapter Preface)
By the beginning of the 18th century, the theory of preformation was widely accepted and had become the dominant model of embryonic development. The research indicated, “This time period saw the beginning of the concept of emboîtement, meaning encasement: the idea that each offspring is contained pre-formed within the gonads of its parents” (Lawrence 2013). Nicolas Malebranche contributed to this theory and the model by creating a fully reasoned explanation of it based on the Cartesian principles of mechanism. Therefore, he was the first to declare that every life that would exist on earth was created at the moment of creation and that future members of each species were present in the ovary of the female. For example, this idea is often compared to the metaphor of the Russian nesting dolls with an infinite number of smaller dolls inside. During this period of time the ovist model of preformation, it was assumed that the seminal fluid from the male parent was only required to begin the process of growth in the preformed embryo. However, this theory was challenged by scientists that w...
Child development is crucial throughout the early years, during this time the development of the brain occurs. The development of the brain contributes to the functioning of the body. The anatomy of the brain is made up of neurons and divided into four different lobes. The temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes control a variety of cognitive functions. The brain controls simple functions such as fine and gross motor skills, vision, and memory. According to Meadows (1993, p.263), at all sorts of levels in the brain there are programs for functions such as breathing, sleeping, and producing coherent language. Brain development in children is vital during the early years. During the early years, children brains are active enabling children to learn a variety of information. Many studies have been conducted and they have concluded a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and exposing young children to a variety of education material assist with child development. The first few years of a child’s life is crucial as far as his intellectual as well as socio-emotional abilities are concerned (Bose, 2000).
My small and humble town did not afford me the opportunities to investigate the many questions I had. It was when I had received acceptance into UCLA, I knew I held a golden key. I saw my first laboratory here at UCLA and it was not long before I applied for the Biomedical Research Minor in an effort to dive headfirst and start working in one. Last year, I worked under Professor Utpal Banerjee in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology studying and elucidating a novel immunity independent inflammatory...
The sequence of development is the order in which children develop and one sequence follows on naturally to the next. For example, children learn to sit up before they learn to walk, and they have to be able to walk before they can skip, jump or run. This is the natural order of events which occurs. Before children can talk they make sounds which develop naturally over time into words. Intellectually, as children get older and their brains develop their concentration expands and they are able to retain more information.
Leboffe, M. J., & Pierce, B. E. (2010). Microbiology: Laboratory Theory and Application, Third Edition 3rd Edition (3rd Ed.). Morton Publishing
This may sound like the beginning of a horror movie, but it isn’t. It is actually a very basic description of a very broad subject: microbiology.
To excel in the field of Biology is not merely my dream, but my passion. I have started on this path of never-ending discovery and I want to master this science. It would not be unjustifying to state that the world is a better place today because of the advances in biological sciences. It truly promises to be an ever-advancing profession on this planet where better cures are required for freshly determined diseases on a day-to-day basis. Gene Technology and Biotechnology are a boon to this world. Putting microorganisms to use in the formation of insu...
In our experiments we went to look how cells function and what are their features. In finding this information, I know have a better understanding of how cells function and their specific features.
Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) was instituted in the early 1980s as a distinctive field of study to characterise the new synthesis of evolution hypothesis (Müller, 2007). Evo-devo is regarded as a new rule in evolutionary biology and a complement to neo-Darwinian theories. It has formed from the combination of molecular developmental biology and evolutionary molecular genetics; their integration has helped greatly to understand both of these fields. Evo-devo as a discipline has been exploring the role of the process of individual development and the changes in evolutionary phenotype, meaning the developmental procedure by which single-celled zygotes grow to be multicellular organisms. Alterations in the developmental program frequently cause differences in adult morphology. When these alterations are helpful, they grow to be fixed in a population and can result in the evolution of new phyla. Evo-devo seeks to figure out how new groups happen by understanding how the method of development has evolved in different lineages. In other word, evo-devo explains the interaction between phenotype and genotype (Hall, 2007). Explanation of morphological novelty of evolutionary origins is one of the middle challenges in current evolutionary biology, and is intertwined with energetic discussion regarding how to connect developmental biology to standard perspectives from the theory of evolution (Laubichler, 2010). A large amount of theoretical and experiential effort is being devoted to novelties that have challenged biologists for more than one hundred years, for instance, the basis of fins in fish, the fin-to-limb change and the evolution of feathers. The biology of development promises to formulate a main contribution to these...
Through the limited laboratory work that I have been fortunate enough to partake in, I have realized that I am interested in quantitative biochemistry. This past year, I have focused on learning the structure and function of proteins in the body. In terms of research, as of now, I would like to research the sequencing of
Since school days the terms like cell, genes, DNA, protein intrigued me a lot and helped me in realizing the dream of pursuing a career in Biotechnology field that has been making many remarkable achievements. The passion towards biological sciences made me to take B.TECH in Biotechnology in Dr. M.G.R. University.