Multiple factors led to me choosing DIY Diagnostics as my top FRI lab choice. It was the stream that matched up most closely to my interests, public health and medicine. During the DIY open house I could already think of some diagnostics that I wanted to try to develop. The stream was brand new so there would be plenty of ideas to develop and different paths to try. The other streams didn’t fit my interests or personality as well. I completed my stream worksheet and luckily got in to my top pick!
Currently I’m interested in diagnostics and apps that aid the special needs community. Right now I am trying to develop an app that helps people with special diets and allergies. I am also interested in the DIY FRIome project, which is a diagnostic that examines the bacteria in human saliva. Individuals donate their saliva and fill out an extensive questionnaire. The project then tries to find connections between behavior and the types of bacteria in people’s mouths. It is very public health oriented with some psychology and of course chemistry and biology—all of my interests combined! When my relatives ask about FRI I tell them that it’s one of the unique opportunities at UT. Professor’s teach freshmen basic lab techniques then let them start exploring research topics that really interest them. I usually add that I work in a lab where we develop diagnostics for different diseases and environmental problems like fracking.
FRI is centered on science and hopes to get more people to enjoy learning about and exploring scientific topics. There are many reasons I love science. It is an incredibly deep subject that is impossible to learn everything about. Science is an endless search where there is always something new to figure out. After being at UT for a year I now truly consider myself a scientist and a budding researcher.
Being in DIY Diagnostics has helped me to develop important skills like self-dependence and time management. I have also learned to keep moving forward and ask questions when I get stuck. Learning to program mobile apps was an interesting experience for me. I am not very good at programming, but overall it was a good experience. Dr. Riedel helps out a lot by giving some of the beginning code or by providing instructions or resources. The app assignments do get harder and you have to rely on yourself more and more to figure out how to get the app to work. It’s very frustrating when one single character is preventing your app from running and it takes you hours to figure out where the problem is.
This stream affirmed what my interests are and want I want to do with my undergraduate education. I am definitely interested in pursuing diagnostics and medicine. I had an “aha” moment when I finally took a good picture of my fungi. I was very excited; the picture had fruiting bodies and everything. In this stream I have met some great people and made some awesome friends. One time I was in lab with a friend and his pipette tips kept falling off the pipette into a flask of acetic acid and for whatever reason it was hilarious. I had a good research experience in the spring semester. It wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot and got a lot out of the experience. I have friends who both loved and hated their streams. Research is not for everyone.
Diagnostics is a rapidly growing division in the sciences. As more people create diagnostics for different diseases it is going to make development a lot easier. Diagnostics that have already been created can be improved upon. In 20 years I see myself helping run clinical trials that make use of diagnostics my peers and I helped develop in this stream.