Overall, I can’t wait to present my findings to the public and other researchers because I am planning on moving labs after the summer. I love the lab that I am currently in, I’ve attached a picture below, but our primary focus is on inorganic physical chemistry. Though this is a very interesting topic, I am a biochemistry major and would like to move to a lab that has more of my interests. I am excited to share the research that I worked on for the summer with other researchers. Not only this, but I like to connect to other chemical and biochemical researchers.
Though my research was on an incredibly niche topic, it is something still important to the chemistry community. This is not the first niche project I have worked on! My first research project worked on AI’s ability to predict drying salt patterns. This led me to my friend’s chemical garden bubble analysis project. The topic of chemical garden bubbles, though niche, is something that relates to the start of life in deep-sea volcanic vents. My lab’s main focus is pre-biotic life through inorganic materials. My bubble analysis project tries to understand the chemical compound of the bubbles that are created through the chemical gardens. This could help deepen our understanding of pre-biotic life starting with volcanic vents.
This IDEA Grant research project is the first one that I have worked on solo, as my project. It was exciting and nerve-wracking, as this is also the very first lab, I have worked in. After a summer’s worth of working on my experiment, primarily analyzing bubbles, I learned the amount of dedication and hard work it takes to be a researcher. Even when trials or ideas fail, you’d have to keep trying, or else there is no research. I am excited to communicate this to my fellow researchers and the public, or at least connect with other researchers about this. Many people, the public, and even higher social public figures do not understand the time and dedication that goes into research, especially when it comes to medication and medicine. Most of the public is somewhat ignorant of science and scientific jargon as a whole. This is what creates an ill-informed public. I hope to communicate the importance of science, the scientific community, and the importance of understanding scientific jargon at the President’s Showcase to further educate the public that research is a big important deal.
HSF House Blogs 