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Greetings, everybody! It’s a beautiful day at the University of New Haven, and I hope that the semester is going smoothly for you. Personally, these past couple of weeks have flown by, and I’ve been looking forward to telling you all about a new project I got going on ☺️

So, for all my bio or laboratory nerds out there, buckle up: it’s time to get cellular.

For the time being, I’ve nick-named this research as “Project Hail Mary,” which is in reference to one of my favorite books that Andy Weir wrote. Essentially, in the book, a sun-eating space algae is threatening to eat Earth’s sun, so NASA throws a random science guy up there to solve the problem. While I’m not being slingshot into the great vacuum of space, I do have my eyes set on another microscopic epidemic: Plastics. Particularly, microplastics.

If you’ve been reading my blogs from the beginning you’d know that my writing was originally based around the microplastic research I did during SURF 2023. I had so much fun with that project, truly, and it’s definitely been instrumental in propelling me to where my research is now.

Currently, I’m focusing on the impacts of bispenol-A (a common compound associated with plastics) on human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells in terms of vitality and morphology. Additionally, I’ll be using qPCR to see if any inflammation genes associated with either cancer or neurodegenerative diseases will be activated as a result.

Author: “.....”
Author: “These are big words for Elmo.”

One of the most recent laboratory “uh-ohs” was that our centrifuge gave up on life and decided to quit without two-weeks’ notice. How rude, right? The good news is, we were able to get a new one, and now we can all use it. Centrifuges, in terms of cellular biology, help us get all of the cells in a liquid sample to the bottom of the tube. That way, we can get the cells out faster and not have any excess fluid lying around.

I mean, I’ll also just stand above it and say “lol haha speeeeeeeennnnnnn” because I’m weird, but I think most lab people are, at least a little, nuts.

Anyhow, the reason why I’m doing this research is not only because plastic is everywhere and is becoming more of a problem than we think, but because of the serious, microscopic impacts it can have on our health. From gut dysbiosis to being a potentially new carcinogen, plastics may be playing a large role in the development and prevalence of diseases in the human population. I could go into the nitty gritty of it and start citing stuff, but that’s a lot of work and I’ve been researching plastics (literary + lab) for three years. You’ve probably been reading this article for five minutes.

This isn’t to say that this has been easy, though. As I haven’t taken cellular or molecular biology before, I had to be trained last semester for about six months until I could be “cut loose.” Even now, I still rely on the guidance of experienced lab members, and I’m very grateful for all of their help. I know that not everyone is very open to teaching newcomers (regardless of the location), so I’m incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated, compassionate people who are willing to answer my endless questions.

If anyone is looking for research or is curious about where or how to start, it all starts with a question. As vague as that is, it’s the truth. Get your question, read about it, and if you can’t find an answer, then you have more of a reason to go find it.

Stay curious and stay resilient. Nothing here today remained without effort.

On that note, I do have to scuttle over to the lab to begin getting some work done, but it was great talking to you all today. Remember that despite how daunting research may be, it’s the beginning that is always the hardest. I hope everyone has a great day today, and, as always, I’ll see you in the next one!

If there are any questions, comments, and/or concerns, feel free to shoot me a message at bglav1@unh.newhaven.edu

With peace, love, and peanut butter,
Beatrice