The DIY Diagnostics stream is an amazing opportunity for freshmen. When I attended the FRI open houses, DIY’s was definitely a stand out. I was told about the freedom students would have to conduct their own research. Because the stream was still fairly new, there would be no predetermined paths students would have to follow (after learning basic laboratory techniques). While the work would be rigorous, the aura of the stream would be relaxed, creating an ideal learning environment. As a sophomore starting my second semester in the DIY Diagnostics stream, I can attest that all of the claims are true. In the DIY stream you aren’t given your options and told to find a place to fit in. Instead, you choose the research you want to do and the research educator finds a way to make that fit within the parameters of the stream.
My peers are working on some amazing projects in our lab. One student is working on a diagnostic to test for dehydration. Other students are working on a project to connect the DNA is our saliva to our behavior and habits. Some are even creating apps to test for a variety of things, including cancer! I’m currently working on finding a way to recycle the water byproduct of hydraulic fracturing. A picture of the water my partner and I have been working with is below.
The current process of fracking is extremely wasteful. Most of the water used is stored away because it’s hard to determine what’s in it after pumping it out of the ground. As the picture shows, the water can look (and smell) really questionable, so it generally isn’t used to frack a second time. As a student in the DIY Diagnostics stream I was awarded a fellowship to work in the lab during the summer to work on the fracking project. Not many freshmen get the opportunity to receive payment for doing their own research. This is just one of the many benefits of being part of a group as unique and exciting as the DIY Diagnostics stream.