<p>Recently, I was given an amazing opportunity to perform research. I have been in contact with leading professors and scientists in this particular field and they have agreed to support me in a variety of ways, not the least of which a tentative acceptance to perform research at a National Institute of Health laboratory and potential data analysis in a facility in Japan.</p>
<p>I've never performed real research before and I've never worked in a lab alongside professors. Can any of you CC-goers who've performed research with professors before give me tips, anecdotes, advice, and anything else you think would have helped you when you began?</p>
<p>In my school you have to be a Junior and it continues into your Senior year. My friend is in research at Fort Detrick Cancer Research or something lol. She said it’s fun and requires a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of individual and work and partner work. My friend said that she has to prepare and conduct research on her own and present it to a staff meetings or NIH science fair. I always wanted to go into research but I’m a Sophomore. Also by the way I’m sorry for asking a question on your thread, but how did you get recognized, what does it take to become chosen for something like this? Thank you.</p>
<p>C. elegans as a model sounds really cool-I’ve heard people talk about it, apparently many studies have been done on it. </p>
<p>Um, I’ve never done work on anything besides cells, but in general:
Keeping an organized lab notebook is good, write down procedures and protocols so that if you forget or are unsure, you can refer to it.
Listenlistenlisten…zoning out usually is detrimental.
Ask questions if you have them- it’s better to sound inquisitive than screw something up later.
Read science literature related to your work so that you have a better understanding of what actually goes on. Reviews are good overviews.
Focus when you do lab work! I once set up an experiment wrong because I was occupied by listening to music. (You probably can multitask, but music isn’t helpful for me when I do work). </p>
<p>Hope this helps! Congrats on getting such an opportunity, I’m sure you’ll do great :).</p>
<p>C. elegans is a model specimen for animal biology. All the genome has been mapped, it’s been extensively studied, the whole nine yards. I have a notebook specifically for my experiment already, but I’ll get another one for lab protocol and such - thanks for the idea! I’ll be sure to listen, ask questions, focus, and read relevant literature as well.</p>
<p>I’m not doing this through my school. I won a competition and got an amazing research opportunity - from there, I contacted professors via email with questions (most of them actually answered back!). One in particular was very helpful and talked with me on the phone for an hour…he then went on to ask his contacts at the NIH and other agencies if they would be willing to work with me, him, and my experiment. They accepted and now I will hopefully be able to work with the NIH Worm Lab, the people in it, and the Japanese researchers who have offered to perform proteomics and possibly genomics for me.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read in other threads, people just contact professors and ask if they can use a high-school intern. You don’t need to go through your school (normally) - just try and contact professors at nearby universities.</p>