Fluorescence

Greetings from the lab, reader! you'll be happy to know that I am surrounded by everyone's favorite worms and simultaneously freaking out about having to correctly lock up this wonderful set of rooms that is the Norman lab. But you know, no big deal.

Today, we will be discussing the tool that has turned boring worms into quite a bright interest of mine - fluorescence.

Whenever you hear of the animal Caenorhabditis Elegans (or C. Elegans), know that you must immediately associate it with fluorescence. From the moment I walked into this lab, it was clear that fluorescent molecules were the real deal when it came to nematodes. Almost all worm strains are injected with genetically integrated GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein). Sometimes, they maintain this genotype for their entire body cavity (all neurons are made bright green) and other times, this applies only to the muscle neurons or only to the head neurons. Naturally, I wondered about this. We've got a completely transparent worm before our very eyes, so what's all this fluorescent-ly glowing hype about?

And then, after asking this question I thought I should actually look into the microscope... It's not as simple as you would expect, trust me. The physiology is amazingly understandable when you read about it in a paper or my dearly beloved wormbook, but in real life, it really does fill you with awe all over again. That also contributes to the fact that it becomes rather difficult to identify the parts you grew so familiar with in writing. It's almost like online dating - WHICH, DISCLAIMER - I HAVE NOT TRIED - But from what I understand, that first in-person meeting does not always yield expected happenings... Anyway, the point is, it would be an oversimplification and a little naive to think that fluorescence is not in any way necessary to observe C. Elegans. The fact that it seems to be the holy grail of this lab didn't sit well with me at first, but then I realized that the super cool and high-tech fluorescent microscope (that has its own special room), held the key to unlocking explorations I still cannot even begin to imagine.

Think of it like this - fluorescence is a tool we use to focus our attention upon one physiological item or component at a time. And then, we can objectively decide what the next step to take is. Maybe today I grow and study a strain that lights up muscle nerves green and maybe tomorrow I grow and begin to longitudinally study the development of ectopic nerves in a strain that also has a tau protein predisposition.

But you see, it isn't just about what we see... if that makes sense. Vision alone, doesn't do much, I mean, it does look pretty cool. But more importantly, what do those visual aids tell you? What can you do to build off of that marvelously colorful picture sitting in the completely ordinary - looking agar plate about 6 inches from your arms? That's where super cool procedures such as PCR and Gel Electrophoresis and DNA engines can be properly utilized.

One of the trepidations, or fears (it's okay to admit, there's quite a few of them) that I had when beginning my time in the lab was that I wouldn't be able to keep up or that I would become lost in the complexity of it all. I'm not saying that those things did not happen, but what proves to be rather assuring is that I did not realize I would have guides along the way. Guides like everyone in the lab, and things like fluorescence. They say that in science or in any process of inquiry, one thing or one question, always leads to the next. I didn't necessarily feel that all the time in my past two years of doing biology research and I think maybe that could have been due to the process and method by which I attacked my questions. Here, I've been taught to do things from the bottom up, to start small, get some practice, and then chase the big stuff. I'm not sure I really followed that in the past.

I also have a confession to make - A couple weeks ago, I guess you could say that I was stuck in a little bit of a rut. I spent a lot of time in the lab, slaving over papers, making an unreasonable amount of annotations, looking into the microscope for absurdly long amounts of time, and essentially, just getting way ahead of myself to a point of very much confusion. This was a bad idea, because then I started doubting the worth of all this. I started doubting the worms' value because I questioned what on earth staying late in the lab and learning worm husbandry would do for the millions of people whose brains are slowly giving out on them. I will admit, I lost quite a bit of perspective in those particular moments. I forgot that I have to start from the bottom up. And it just bothers me because I knew all along that this would happen, and yet, I still could not stop it from happening.

Although this burning out/crashing is something I'm used to and undoubtedly will experience again and again, it's nice to have small things like fluorescence that remind me what do, where to start, and how to go about doing whatever it is I am trying to achieve. And that's why I ordained today as a day to remember the origins of my time here, using the fluorescent microscope and literally, looking to the light. And then I learned how to do those cool Polymerase Chain Reactions, but that's a story for another journal.

Until next time, the worms, microscopes, and I wish you a most delightful evening.