Hello, my name is Lakme Caceres. I would like to start off by thanking Drs. Betsy Read and Arun Sethuraman for working so hard to organize and run this REU program for us! It is difficult enough to plan a fun and educational summer, but I am sure that COVID-19 made this even more of a challenge behind the scenes. Coming into the program I was excited and also a little nervous. After over a year of social isolation and online classes, I was weary of the transition into such an immersive experience. But after meeting the people I would be working alongside this summer, my worries were quickly assuaged. Everyone I have met in the REU and Summer Scholars programs has been friendly and eager to learn! Week one was full of introductions to new people, places, and science! After moving into our spacious and accommodating apartments, we all got to know each other over a delicious meal of pizza, pasta, and dough balls. To kick-off the summer we met CSUSM faculty and listened to an energetic presentation on next-generation sequencing by Dr. Elinne Becket, who also happens to be my PI. The Becket lab uses genomics and ecology to study microbial antibiotic resistance in coastal environments. I will be working on a project that looks at how anthropogenic stressors influence environmentally-driven horizontal gene transfer, a large contributor to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. After just one week I had experience with preparing antibiotics, culturing and plating bacteria, and conducting MIC assays! I can tell that we are going to accomplish so much this summer. Outside of lab we also had a lot of fun brainstorming and taking part in social events. We had an amazing time enjoying ice cream and then catching two (2!) grunions at Oceanside Pier. It took a long time for the fish to appear on the shore, but after we dug for sand crabs and enticed the grunions with Careless Whisper, I was able to catch one (Becket lab was responsible for catching both fish :D)! I also went axe throwing for the first time with my lab and Dr. Robert Iafe's lab. It was so much fun and I was stoked when I got my first bull's eye! I had an incredible first week and I am so excited for what the rest of the summer holds. I can tell that it is going to be an invaluable experience. Making a waterpark for the sand crabs.
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Watch this space for weekly updates!Every week, one of our CSUSM NSF REU students will post their blurb, summarizing their week, and chronicling our program. AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2023
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