Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

From March of 20XX until my graduation in May of 20XX, I carried out an undergraduate
research project in the lab of Dr. Finn Erikson at Emory University. This project, which
culminated in a senior thesis that was awarded High Honors, was on the subject of innate
immune responses to the protozoan parasite and malaria relative Toxoplasma gondii, the cause of
Toxoplasmosis. T. gondii is estimated to infect 15-20% of Americans and perhaps even higher
proportions of the population of other countries, causing life-long, chronic infection that is
usually asymptomatic but can cause devastating disease in fetuses and the immunocompromised.
I investigated the role of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC) in the immune
response to T. gondii, specifically looking for antimicrobial effector functions of BMDC in
response to parasite infection. Using a combination of flow cytometry and microscopy, I found
that BMDC, while unable to kill parasites, are able to control intracellular parasite replication in
the presence of appropriate activating signals, such as interferon-gamma and LPS. Activated and
unactivated BMDC were equally susceptible to infection, but T. gondii was able to replicate only
in the unactivated cells. I showed that activated BMDC produce the anti-microbial compound
nitric oxide (NO), and that this NO production is crucial in the control of intracellular parasite
growth, as evidenced by the fact that BMDC in which NO production was chemically blocked
lost their ability to inhibit parasite replication.
My time in the Erikson lab helped me understand the patience and dedication involved in
completing a project, and how each individual microscope field counted contributes to the final
product. I found that all my hard work paid off in the sense of accomplishment I felt as I turned
in the final draft of my honors thesis.
Since August of 20XX, I have been working full time as a research scientist in the lab of Dr.
Robyn Mayes at the University of California, Los Angeles. I am currently involved with a
number of projects, both independently and in cooperation with others. I study the regulation
and functional effects of variations in the structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule
found on the outer surface of gram-negative bacteria. I isolate and purify LPS from a variety of
bacteria and determine its key structural features, which can vary according to strain and growth
conditions. Additionally, I test the antimicrobial susceptibility of various bacterial isolates,
culture primary murine macrophages and dendritic cells for bacterial infection studies, and
determine the LPS phenotype of mutant strains.
Working on so many different projects has helped develop my ability to multitask and stay
organized, as well as allowing me to learn many diverse techniques. I have also had the
opportunity to train others in some of the procedures I use, and have found it extremely
rewarding to share my experience in this way. I often work in collaboration with others, both
within and outside of my lab, which has expanded my horizons beyond the confines of my own
bench and allowed me to see the connections between what I work on and many other fields.
In addition to research, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to do some teaching, and
have found that I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and watching students get excited about
learning. As an undergraduate, I tutored other undergraduates in chemistry and felt that I had
helped them master concepts that had been difficult for them. While at Emory I also served as
both a TA and an instructor for a Physical Education course in Cross Country Skiing. Many of
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