Reaching the End

Well, things are certainly winding down in the lab this week. All I have left to do with my tetA PCRs are to run one last set of weak positives to see whether or not they are really positive or negative. By the looks of it I'd say they're negatives, but time will tell. I also set up another Pulsed-Field Gel, since the last one didn't work. Hopefully it was just the heat; we're trying this one with the door open to the room.

I spoke to Dearbhaile today about the next step in the research. She said they were happy to let me move onto anything, really, and that they didn't want me to feel bored or anything. I told her that with Pulsed-Field, I was keeping pretty busy, but would like to move onto something after I've finished the PCRs. The next PCR I can start on is for Integrons, which I explained earlier. We have the primers and the protocol already, so all I have to do is get started with those. Dearbhaile also mentioned phages, saying I could look at some of the stuff the Salmonella Reference Lab is doing. I don't know that I have time for it, but it sounds interesting enough!

Since I had a bit of downtime for the day, I spent it starting my project report and presentation. I pretty much have the "Materials and Methods" section done, but the rest will have to come bit by bit as I finish the research. I did learn some more about the differences in the Irish and American education systems while doing my report. I was talking to Sarah, and she was saying how she hadn't written a paper for class since probably our equivalent of middle school. That's insane! I've even written research papers in college - and in science classes too. Dani and I found it hard to believe that something as essential as writing wasn't pressed into the curriculum. Just...odd. That, coupled with the fact that she's never used PowerPoint or Excel before makes me wonder how the Irish Education System expects its students to survive in modern times.

After work, I went grocery shopping in town to pick up some food. I was running low, and definitely needed bananas for breakfast. :) Once I got back, Sarah and Josh had decided to go out on the town for the night and try out a few pubs. We met up with Bryan and the four of us took a cab to Eyre Square and spotted a little pub by the green that looked cozy enough. After a round in there, we ran into Dani - who was just saying goodbye to her parents - and went with her to Monroe's. The girls got drinks there while the boys got pizza (yum!), and then we all went out to a club called Cuba in Eyre Square. It was a lively joint, but was rather croweded and had the most odd music selection I've seen. Dunno how I felt about it, but ah well. 'Twas a good day!