Kyle Kubeczka

I was fully integrated into the project during my EURECA experience.  Not only did I perform routine tasks such as cell line maintenance, but I had the opportunity to be directly involved in project development, including experimental design. Cell line maintenance involved preparation of the cell growth media, as well as routine sub culturing to ensure I had a testing stock.  I also performed all the experiments myself which involved irradiation of the cells using a Stratalinker.  This device exposes individual cells to a predetermined level of UV-C radiation. The system I was using was new to the lab, so I initially based the level of radiation exposure on previous research done by the professor in charge.  However, I found these doses to be less than ideal and was given the freedom to fine tune the radiation dose as needed.  I was also tasked with determining the ideal working density for individual cell cultures during the irradiation process. I was able to conduct Comet Assays, which was a previously unknown technique to me, and I used a computer program to help make sense of the results.

                The ability to gain hands on experience has given me insight into facets of biological research that I had not known existed. In particular, I had never dealt with live cells in culture to measure a physiological response.  As I worked on this project I was forced to troubleshoot many different facets of the protocol.  For example, we had no prior experience working with PC12 cells and did not know the correct density at which to subculture the cells during the experimental protocol to prevent them from clumping together.  In order to get an even level of radiation exposure among individual cells that had to be at a density that resulted in a monolayer in the dish.  In addition, I found that ensuring all of the cells were at the same point in the cell cycle during before, during and after UV irradiation was required to reduce the variability among replicates.  Other issues concerning specific aspects of the Comet assay and data analysis also arose during the project.  These types of issues are never directly spelled out in textbooks and it’s not normal to get the opportunity to problem solve as part of a class.  Working on this project forced me to apply a new skill set.  I had to step back, evaluate the problem then apply a logical solution to see if the issue was resolved using various methods.  If not, I had to repeat the process until the problem was solved.  This opportunity has done much to help me further narrow down what it is that I would like to do as a career as well as providing me with the experience that most employers require. I am continuing to conduct research on this project and overall I would say that my EURECA experience has afforded me the opportunity to engage with the scientific community and benefit from it in ways that I would not have been able to otherwise.