I am in my second semester in the DIY Diagnostics stream in the Freshman Research Initiative. I chose this stream because I felt it focused on a unique area of research which met my interests of computer science and medicine. In fact, this really was the only stream which had this interdisciplinary topic and that is why it was my first and most desirable choice, and I am very glad I was placed in it. In my first semester, I was introduced to many of the larger and longer term projects that the stream is working on, such as the Friome project, Waller Creek project, and Zika diagnostics project, as well as basic lab skills such as microscopy, PCR and pipetting. Many of these projects were intriguing and many of the skills I learned will be vital to success in other labs I have to take in the future.
Out of the projects that I worked on, I found particular interest in the Waller Creek project and in 3D printing, a unique skill that we learn in DIY that I fell in love with. Waller Creek is a local creek here at UT and runs right through the center of Austin. The Waller Creek project focuses on diagnosing the quality of the creek by keeping track of bacteria levels and fecal matter in the water. 3D printing is a vital component of our lab because it enables us to make materials that are needed for our many projects. Examples of 3D printed lab creations include cell phone microphones, the lab’s Zika field kit (currently still in progress) and custom-made gel electrophoresis combs. I personally designed a detailed model of the UT tower that came out pretty well with some design input from my fellow researchers.
This summer, I began to work on these two projects through my summer fellowship that enabled me to get a head start for the fall semester. My lab partner and I sampled from the creek twice a week, and I learned and documented many technical aspects of the 3D printer for future researchers to use. I also helped in the creation of a box that will allow the Zika and Waller Creek projects to progress from lab testing, to field testing, which is the ultimate goal for both groups.
I think the experience of being in this stream has been invaluable in definitively determining what interests me and meeting other people who share these interests. My experience with mobile applications helped me realize not only that my computer science background will be useful regardless of my career (I am a computer science major) but also helped me refine some skills I hadn’t used in a while. The most memorable moment I have had in the stream so far is undoubtedly when I saw a water snake at the creek when it moved right next to me while I was attempting to gather water from the creek. After we knew the snake was there, my partner and I decided to quickly get the sample and get out of there. I have other friends in FRI and taking normal lab classes, both at UT and at other institutions, but I have no doubt that this is one of the most unique and best opportunities available to undergrads across the country and I thoroughly have enjoyed my experiences so far.