<p>I ask in this section because I know a lot of Harvard students did some form of research in high school. Anyhow:</p>
<p>1) What do you actually do in lab research? I've done Chem and Bio at school and am really interested in doing research in a lab, but I want to know what you actually do in the lab. Just follow orders of the professor? Or what?</p>
<p>2) If the professor says they want to interview you, what do you bring? A resume? Or is that too much?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>I worked at a research lab for the Agricultural Research Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, over the past two summers.</p>
<p>I did a lot of basic molecular bio stuff for my supervising scientist. Some examples would be PCR, Cloning, Tranformation, SDS PAGE, Western Blot, DNA/ protein purification and messing around with termites. He taught me the techniques and watched me the first few times, but eventually let me handle things on my own. I’d get there at 8:30, say hi, he’d give me a list of things to do and let me handle it. And I’d go to him when I finished and he’d check out the results. I worked everyday till 4:30. So yes, I basically just followed the directions of my supervisor.</p>
<p>But if you stay at the lab and pay attention, there’s a good chance you’ll find some independent line of inquiry you wish to pursue. Ask your supervisor about it, and chances are he will be willing to let you mess around a bit. Keep it small; you could be the first to test chemical X on organism Y. It won’t be groundbreaking (well it might be) but you’ll be the first to do it at least! And of course, if your experiment goes half decently, you can go down the ISEF or Siemens route.</p>
<p>First summer I was a “volunteer”, but I got paid the second summer. It was a pretty good experience overall-- learned a lot.</p>
<p>whoa, I didn’t know you can do this kind of stuff…I was actually wondering how high schoolers are able to work in labs…I thought you had to have connections or something. This sounds interesting…So how do you get involved?..Do you contact the Department of Agriculture and say I want to volunteer or something? I definitely going to do something like this during the summer after I graduate…or maybe now…</p>
<p>lol this is exciting…I want to work in a lab! lol</p>
<p>Well, the research center is actually across the street from me, hehe. It also helps that my dad works there, but in all honesty he didn’t help me out much. I just emailed them about student volunteering, and that was that. A few emails back and forth, some orientation, and I got into the lab. My supervisor liked me (I guess) and mentioned that they had actual jobs (you get paid to work), so I applied for that and that was it.</p>
<p>I know that LSU Health Sciences (its a university lab in my area) and several hospitals also offer summer volunteering, internships, jobs-- whatever you want to call them. I’ve done a bit of those as well.</p>
<p>There are a bunch of lab opportunities out there. You just have to look for them.</p>
<p>I’ve also been working at a university lab, and a lot of adchang’s last post was applicable to me. I emailed a few professors and it took several months to find a position, but ultimately, I got one. It’s an unpaid position but the stuff you learn is valuable and fascinating.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking into this too & everyone who posted is right about the procedure. 
Right now I’m just trying to schedule a meeting with the Dean of Science (I didn’t get back to her for like 2 weeks due to assignments, projects, tests, other stuff outside of school & now she hasn’t gotten back to me in a while, lol). It should go over well; she said she can probably find something for me.
Best of luck in your search! All it really takes is a little curiosity.</p>