This summer, I had the pleasure of working in Dr. Walsh’s lab studying the effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on GT17 neurons. We focused on the development of lipid droplets, which are the organelles responsible for the storage of triglycerides in the cells. Triglycerides serve as long-term energy storage for cells because of the numerous bonds in each fatty acid. Fatty acids are also toxic if not stored as triglycerides and can lead to cell death. Through various experiments (RNA qPCR, gel electrophoresis, MTT and BCA assays, and cell staining), we found that when in the presence of Oleic acid (saturated fatty acid) the GT17 cells produced more lipid droplets with no cell death. In contrast, Palmitic acid (unsaturated fatty acid) showed an increase in cell death with no noticeable increase in lipid droplets. These results are from preliminary testing, and there is still a lot of troubleshooting and additional testing to be done; however, our findings were promising.
This internship helped me develop skills in research and collaboration. I learned several new methods, such as cell culture, RNA qPCR, and MTT/BCA assays, which helped further develop my skills in cell culture and experimentation in a cell biology lab. I also gained valuable experience in collaboration working with my two other lab mates. We were able to establish roles (in the cell culture hood, mixing solutions, grabbing cell cultures, etc.) for each experiment we did, and the transition between each role became increasingly seamless until we effectively began an assembly line. This allowed us to speed up the process while maintaining accuracy and finding good results. The research also taught me how to multitask effectively. I learned in the lab setting that there are usually several moving pieces happening at the same time. I learned to be proactive so that I could juggle these moving pieces while still providing the necessary attention to detail for each step.
This research internship was a fantastic opportunity and grew my love for research and lab work. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Walsh, who provided me with this opportunity and offered invaluable advice.
