New Transfer Student Looking to Get into Undergrad Research in Biology

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>I’m a biochemistry major, just transferred from a California community college. I was looking to get into undergrad research in cell biology next quarter, and being a complete n00b at this, I have a few (well, more than a few) questions.</p>

<p>First, when should I begin emailing professors whose research I’m interested in? Would now be too early or too late? Second, is there a format/template I’m supposed to follow when emailing the professor? Should I list my grades, classes I’ve taken, etc.?</p>

<p>Third, I have exactly zero research experience, so is there a certain skillset I should acquire/brush up on? I’ve done all my lower division chem/bio + labs, but I don’t remember every technique I learned, unfortunately. Finally, the professor I would really, really like to work with is at the UCD med center in the cell bio department (Kent Erickson, <a href=“Kent Erickson, Ph.D. | UC Davis Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy);%5B/url%5D”>Kent Erickson, Ph.D. | UC Davis Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy);</a> I don’t think he teaches undergraduates. Would that change the process any?</p>

<p>I’m sure I’ll have more questions, but these are just what comes to mind right now. If you have any other advice, or want to share your own experiences, that would be much appreciated too!</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi Emblue, I just finished my first year at UCD and started as a undergraduate research assistant under the microbio department. I have to tell you that the process for me was certainly very long and difficult. One of my other friends is under NPB and got a lab position just like that. </p>

<p>I personally didn’t do this because there’s less offerings available, but you should use the Aggie Job Link and search up UCDMC and UCD cell bio in the search bar there. There should be a few openings they’re actively recruiting for.</p>

<p>Second thing you can do is look up all the faculty under whatever cell bio related department you want to work in. Take time to briefly go through their research interests and what kind of research they do by taking note of their publication titles. It’s important to not only know what kind of research they’re doing, but also to be interested in it. You don’t want to work in a lab that bores you, obviously. I say pick about 10 professors you want to work for. Send a formal email with a resume or CV that details the following: why you want to get into research in general, why you want to specifically work for his/her lab, and what’s interesting about the lab’s research. The more specific you are the better (don’t go overboard obviously, just show that you understand their research and seem interested in it). Attach your resume: it should detail your GPA, relevant coursework, related extracurriculars (if you don’t have that many like I did, then feel free to add other ECs), any academic honors you have, and MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR SKILLS. If you know how to do different cell bio techniques like running various gels, tissue culture work, etc, then you need yo list that in a skills section of the resume. </p>

<p>Personally, I emailed about 15 professors whose research I was interested in. About half of them replied and only two of them offered me a position. I went to meet each of them and they gave me a little interview. It was a very casual talk but you show all the great character traits they expect. This whole process from emailing professors to finally getting placed took about 5 weeks. You might be lucky like my friend to just get a spot. It’s been almost 3 months since I started lab work and it’s been fun and I’ve learned a lot. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Hey Shirafune, thanks for the response. Unfortunately for me, I have a pretty limited (read: non-existent) skill-set. As I mentioned, the only lab work I’ve done is the labs I took for my lower-division chem and bio classes, and I wasn’t particularly good at doing labs. Plus, by now I’ve probably forgotten some of the techniques I’ve learned. </p>

<p>Will I still be able to get involved in research somehow? I realize that I’ll probably be relegated to washing glassware, but that’s fine; I just want to get my foot in the door. </p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>I was a freshman so I’m sure I had even less bio experience than you. All labs will either have you work under a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or with the PI of the lab (usually a professor). Your mentor will teach you all the skills you’ll need to help them out with their research. You will also learn lab protocol such as doing dishes, putting away glassware, making stock solutions, and other lab chores. From what I know, mentors expect you to learn quickly and take good notes. You’ll need to keep a lab notebook to write down all procedures they teach you and the rules of lab. Just send out emails like I recommended and try to get placed. That’s how you get your foot in the door. From then on, you’ll be doing lab work for your mentor (i.e. whatever step of their experiment/project they need finished).</p>

<p>If you want to prepare for something, the best thing to do is know their research. It’s the easiest way to impress a professor. Another thing you could prepare for is getting whatever genetics, molecular bio, and cell bio material you’ve already learned and get it down solid. That will also impress your mentor if you can answer some of their questions while they’re teaching you protocols (i.e. Why are we adding RNAse for this DNA purification protocol?) The last thing (kind of excess almost) is to go over basic cell bio techniques: gel electrophoresis; northern, southern, etc blots; immunoprecipitation; etc. Just go through some of these on wikipedia and it will help you understand the protocols quicker when your mentor teaches you them and hopefully impress them. </p>

<p>Now, impressing your mentor isn’t exactly necessary, unless you have competition for a spot (i.e. your professor/mentor wants to test you out against other applicants). I wouldn’t worry about getting a lab spot. There are always plenty of lab spots in the beginning of the year, but try to get in early because I imagine they’ll fill up quickly as fall quarter gets going. </p>

<p>You HAVE to check your schedule. My mentor likes me working 15-20 hours a week, though many different labs have different standards. If you have many classes and other ECs, then maybe consider starting in winter quarter. Many procedures require 2hrs+ so you will really need a good chunk of time to dedicate to lab (i.e. maybe 4 hrs MWF and a few 2 hr blocks elsewhere).</p>

<p>Thank you very much for those detailed and thorough answers, Shirafune! Right now, 15-20 hours might be a bit much for me, since I commute to school via bus. I think an orientation leader at my orientation mentioned doing 8 hours/week; that might be more feasible. </p>

<p>Again, thanks for sharing! It’s been a big help!</p>