Lab Experience Personal reflection – Beatrice Gamba

I got the opportunity to do my 1st lab rotation at the Laboratory of Pharmacology.
PI of the laboratory: Antonio Torsello
Tutor: Ramona Meanti

The lab focuses on the effects of Growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) in neurodegenerative diseases. The research group I was part of works on the neuroprotective effects of Hexarelin, EP80317 and JMV2894, three well-known GHS, in vitro models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We also evaluated the crosstalk of ALS cell models and N9 cells, trying to understand how microglia modulates the GHS effects.
This was achieved through two types of work: one-part consisting of molecular biology experiments (Western Blot, RNA extraction, Digestion, Real-Time PCR…) and a second part carried out under the lab hood (Cel collection, plate colture, cell treatments, slide staining…).

Another different activity was the slide visualization with Confocal Microscopy in a dark room: this tool allowed us to study cell morphology, size, complexity. These characteristics reflect cell health and change according to oxidative stress.

My experience here was very interesting, educational, and sometimes also fun. The team is almost completely female and young; perhaps only women have that careful precision that is needed in this job. The group is competent, strongly motivated and very close to each other. They made me feel an integrated part of the team.

A regular day in the laboratory starts at the sound of the timer, lunchtime is the time to wait for electroblotting or a Real-Time and end of the day is the time for overnight primary antibody incubation. Every event is wedged and has its own space programmed by the lab diary of my tutor, but there is no space for giving up. Not all experiments are successful, but we keep trying and trying again.