1st Day

Today we met our research group and saw the lab. While everything seems at first to be highly complex and overwhelming, there seem that there aspects of the research being done that are simple enough to possibly transfer to the high school classroom. On the simplest level, we will be working with optical microscopes. Some research being done includes looking at the "squishyness" of cell membranes of cancer cells vs. non-cancer cells. There are basic concepts of Force and springs that seem to be applied at the nano scale. The idea of working at the nano level is also intriguing. I am looking forward to getting involved and learning how the technology works along with how it is being applied to answer the big picture questions. Tomorrow, I expect to learn more about the microscopy itself and how the equipment works. The first day was a little overwhelming, but I feel confident that I will be able to work in the lab and learn new things.