Lab Work!

 As a future immunologist, I LOVE lab work, especially when it comes to viruses.  I find the study of viruses fascinating and looking for them in samples is something that is really interesting to me.  While working in the lab is not an official part of my internship, I was able to learn more about the lab work done to my samples and the process of this research. 

In getting to know my mentors,  Scott Crans and Biologist Autumn Angelus,  I mentioned that I am interested in research in a lab setting and asked about opportunities to learn about the labs the department uses.  These mosquitos are studied in a lab and I was interested in that process.  Autumn was nice enough to reach out to Andrew Bove, Microbiologist and Director of the Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3) Lab at the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control to see if I could visit the lab to learn more.  Andrew quickly set up a lab meeting.  What an incredible opportunity!

Andrew welcomed me into his lab and showed me how they process the samples, study them and record results.  I was able to spend a few hours observing in the lab after my collections and I learned so much about their work and how they operate.  There are different rules than in a school lab setting!  At the end of the day, I told Andrew if he needed a volunteer that I would be happy to come back again.  He actually took me up on that and gave me an incredible day in the lab to study and work with his team.  I studied the safety rules and the equipment and really learned a lot.  I saw that doing this project requires so many different team members with varying experience and roles.  The data they produce impacts the public health in NJ and is so important.

I hope to visit the lab again as time permits!