Hi again!
Can’t believe it is the last week. As of right now, we are 24 hours away from finishing our internship. James and I are the only two holding down the fort this week, and we have had a blast. We are still trying to optimize our ChIP protocol, but it’s a long ways from done. We are in the process of trying to break up DNA by sonication, but let’s just say the sonicator is not our friend. We have been at war with it for the past month, and it seems to be winning for now. However, I’m confident that we’ll make progress once school starts.
Looking back, it’s amazing to see the progress we have made. James and I were just talking about the first time we attempted to do ChIP–we couldn’t even dechorionate them properly. Now, we are able to extract DNA and proteins at high concentrations from fresh embryos.
As for myself, I believe that I have made some personal progress too (maybe?). I still get frustrated when things don’t “work,” but now I recognize that frustration is part of the process, and I’m learning to manage it. I know frustration now just makes victory at the end so much more satisfying.
That’s it for now! I can’t wait for the school year to get started so James and I can keep working through the protocol.

–Jenny