Summer program Cornell Nanobiotech and NIH

Pre-College Issues High School Life
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<p>In summer 2003, there were 7. In 2004, there were 6.</p>

<p>(i went to a science magnet school )
biology honors
research methods in science
biotechnology
microbiology
chemistry honors
AP Biology
physics honors
math from algebra to trigonometry and pre-cal
math tech
tech 1</p>

<p>My stats
GPA: 3.8 or 3.9</p>

<p>EC:
teen leaders club 3yrs president
beta club 3yrs
national honors society 11
science club 11
writers club 9
library advisory board 10, 11
math society 11 </p>

<p>Programs:
BioTrek (a biotechnology program)
learn about biotechnology through activites and field trips.</p>

<p>internship for NASA SHARP in at North carolina A&T state university
worked on assigned reseach project</p>

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<p>wow, i'm in 10th right now, all i have is ap chem, integrated sience I, integrated science II, honors geometry, honors algebra II (but i've done outside of school stuff up 2 calc and will be taking the bc exam at the end of this year), computer science(cs) 1 and (cs) 2, should i even apply?</p>

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<p>Why not? The preference is giving to rising juniors and seniors but the program will take sophomores. You can download the application form at <a href="http://www.nbtc.cornell.edu/mainstreetscience/hs_app.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nbtc.cornell.edu/mainstreetscience/hs_app.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Is this thing worth it? Do you do meaningful things? What is it you do - I mean academically and outside of the program?</p>

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<p>How do they select the students?</p>

<p>JJkitty, can you elaborate more on your experiences? What did you do during those weeks? How much of it was observing your mentors and how much was actually doing hans-on work? Did the adults see the students as colleagues(sp?) or teens? Is this a costly program?</p>

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<p>Work
The research project changes every year but basically in the first two weeks we learned about how to use a computer program (AUTOCAD) to design devices. Then we make a mask, or model I guess you could call it, from that. And finally make the device. Then we ran microorganisms through the devices to determine certain properties.</p>

<p>We were divided into 2 teams and each one thot up a hypothesis (well my team had 6-we were very ambitious, but not to realistic) of what properties we would test for. Then we came up with a way to test it and an original design of a device to test it in. Then we present it to a group of people that have been helping us and our parents if they can come.</p>

<p>I learned a lot of techniques I never heard of before and used these special microscopes to measure our devices and specimen. I learned about laminar flow (a very important concept with the devices).</p>

<p>Our mentor had his own projects to run and a whole lab to look after. During the first week he would meet us at the end of the day and give us an assignment to show him the next morning. Once we started our own projects, he checked in with us every few days to see how far we have progressed and if we hit some snags.</p>

<p>The experience was totally hands on. I think one of the reasons they like to keep the group small is so everyone can do everything. We didn’t watch our mentor work. A couple of times we visited a lab/researcher to see what they were doing but mainly you spend time on your project.</p>

<p>No one paid us much attention so it is no one really treated us like anything. We were just more people working in the lab.</p>

<p>Play
Ithaca is a small town. There is a one-story mall and the commons which is like a downtown area with all these weird stores. You go through it pretty quickly.</p>

<p>It is as fun as you make it. The interns I was with did not really want to do much so we sat around watching tv a lot.
we did do some stuff together, it took a lot of convincing but we had game night, we went to laser tag, walked in a river below a waterfall, went to the movies, had a few deep and not so deep afternoon chats, bowling, went to a science center, ate at Chilis and a famous (and gross) local diner. And one of the grad students even took us to Niagara falls (I heard next year interns are going to New York City), we almost had a slumber party but everyone was too tired to go.
We did do a lot of stuff but you just have so much free time it feels like it wasn’t much. I suggest bringing a PS2, dvds and games.</p>

<p>They also have a lot of stuff on campus like jazz concerts and activities for the summer students. Like we went to a game of sex jeopardy-free ice cream! And watched a sex and the city marathon-free pizza!</p>

<p>Cost
We didn’t have to pay for everything we did. Whenever our mentors or RA took us out we didn’t have to pay but anything else we were on our own. They gave us $400 for food and a bus pass for the summer. The only thing that really dug a hole in my wallet was the movies. </p>

<p>I have pics of where we lived and some of the stuff we did if anyone wants to see them. They are mostly of Niagara tho.</p>

<p>You should apply, tennisdude. You seem like a good candidate.
one of the interns last year was a sophomore.</p>

<p>Anything else?</p>

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<p>So it's more of an introduction to the lab and not research-oriented?</p>

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<p>So what is this device that you designed? From what you described, I think nanobiotech is a lot different from what I originally thought.</p>

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<p>It is kind of hard to explain.
We make a 'model' of these really tiny tubes. Then we pour PDMS on it which is like a gel. We let it bake and we have a mold of the model in the hardened gel. We then stick the gel onto a slide (like for a microscope). That slide that has the gel on it with a design in it the device.</p>

<p>We poke holes needles in it and push water stuff into the tubes and watch what happend under a microscope.</p>

<p>It is better explained here <a href="http://cfao.ucolick.org/meetings/hunterconference/oct27ppts/NRCEN_Batt_SeamlessIntegrat.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://cfao.ucolick.org/meetings/hunterconference/oct27ppts/NRCEN_Batt_SeamlessIntegrat.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>hey jjkitty, wut kinda things did u write in ur essay and were those 5 weeks worth it?</p>

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<p>Oh ok - so is there any research in the program?</p>

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<p>In my essay I just told them the basic stuff, what I have done, my career interets and how this program would help me get a better understanding of them.</p>

<p>I did learn alot about nanobiotechnology and what engineering really is?
It was the first real research project I ever took seriously and tried to make perfect. The program really did show me what its like to be a researcher. We had to worry about budget (well not too much), ordering things, back up plans, working in a team, we would stay late working until we got things right, we made everything we needed, we did alot of research and scheduled with people to use certain equipment. We even did research back at the dorms and worked on designs late into the night.
I guess it depends on your experience, but I do think it was worth it for me. </p>

<p>How do you mean simfish?</p>

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<p>I might not have a clear definition of research - from my impressions, this program seemed to involve you making a model and testing things with it - which didn't seem to be research. Of course I might not have the correct definition so I may be wrong.</p>

<p>Of course the word 'research' has several definitions.</p>

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<p>theres' already a thread created about this program, but oh well <em>shrugs</em></p>

<p>wow, only 6-7 kids accepted? yowzers. it seems like a great program though, nice atmosphere, nice settings, etc.</p>

<p>JJkitty: do you just work on one project with the rest of the kids or one separate one by yourself? was there really a motive for your research, like, were you trying to prove something or were you just testing out equipment and gettign a hands-on experience AS researchers but not really completing any "research project" and did you already get into NIH? i thought NIH notifs weren't out till march-may</p>

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<p>We didnt do projects individually.</p>

<p>We did research on certain type of magnetic bacteria (through reading journal articles and what not). Then we came up with hypotheses of how they would act in certain situations. For example one of them was magnetic bacteria will overcome hydrodynamic focusing and laminar flow when under the influence of a powerful magnet.</p>

<p>Then we had to design a device to put the bacteria in and order the right magnets and blah blah blah.</p>

<p>I dont know if you would consider it research or not but that is what we did.</p>

<p>Sorry if I was confusing before.</p>

<p>Well... I have not been notified byu the program, but I emailed a principal investigator and he forwarded my email to one of his researchers there. He is already making room for me and another student to work with him for the summer. We've talked about the project I would be working on too. But i havent officially heard anything.</p>

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<p>Hmmm...I am beginning to think this program is not for me, and I should spend that time in summer to continue my research at Columbia. It sounds like this program is more like structured lessons. I think the researchers there already have the answers to the questions posed to you, and just want you to verify them, right? Whereas at Columbia I am doing exploratory research...</p>

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<p>I think the columbia thing would be better for u too.
This program is best if you havent done a research project b4 and just want to see what its like. </p>

<p>And that last paragraph on my last post was about NIH</p>

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<p>Does anyone know when they start sending results for the Cornell program?</p>

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<p>who did u guyz adress the letter 2? just Ms. Kong?</p>

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<p>yeah
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