Hi, my name is
Heather Hobbs and I am doing research in Dr. Hakami’s lab at the NCBID. Being a
biology undergraduate student, I am exposed to numerous facets of biology since
it is such a diverse field. I have always been more interested in microbiology
and infectious diseases. My project specifically peaked my interest when I was
able to work in my mentor’s lab in the fall of 2014 through the Biology
Research Semester. Long term, I hope to be accepted into Mason’s Accelerated
Master’s Program for Biology. After I graduate, I hope to ultimately pursue a
career in the research field, so being a part of the USRP is going to be
invaluable moving forward.
In regards to my
research, we know that when human cells are stressed, they release packages
that can contain proteins or genetic material. These packages are called
“exosomes.” The process of collecting these exosomes begins with infecting half
of our cells with Yersinia pestis (the
bacteria that causes Black Death/plague). This procedure takes two days to
complete. At the end, we have exosomes from Y.
pestis infected cells and exosomes from uninfected cells. We know from
previous experiments that if we treat uninfected cells with exosomes collected
from infected cells, the recipient cells grow much more slowly than when
exposed to exosomes from uninfected cells. This slower growth phenotype is similar
to cells infected with Y. pestis
bacteria. The goal of my research this semester is to try to understand how the
cell growth phenotype is coming about, and to explore any other effects that
may be caused by these exosomes obtained from an infected source.
This week, I
learned how important time management is. Because some of our experiments can
take more than one day, it is crucial to be able to plan ahead to ensure that
everything is as efficient as it can possibly be. Otherwise, experiments can
run late into the evening or even into the weekend. Overall, performing
research as an undergrad has been one of the most beneficial, enjoyable, and
rewarding things that I could have ever chosen to do.
