Weekly WISE #1
Our first Weekly WISE posts are written by Cailey L. and Waffa Z.! Check out what these students have been up to for the first couple of weeks of the program!
Waffa Z., Research Assistant in the faculty of Engineering
My name is Waffa Zahralyn, and I work as a research assistant in the faculty of engineering. For my placement, I work in the process engineering lab at the Bruneau Centre to analyze the composition of biomass and its products and test their efficacy as water treatment adsorbents. It has only been 8 days into my internship, and I’ve already learned so much! So far, we’ve tested the filtration ability of biochar using a filtration column. We collected samples to see if solutions containing phosphates and nitrates can be filtered using different biochar. After collecting samples, we used a spectrophotometer to find the absorbance and wavelength of the solution, and with that figure out the concentration of the solution after the filtration process. This is to see how much of the phosphate and nitrate has been filtered out.
We have also used the process of protein hydrolysis on mussel meat, in order to determine the number of peptide bonds in the reaction after completion. For the reaction to occur, an enzyme was added to a mixture of mussel meat at a specific temperature, acting as a catalyst to complete the reaction. Many samples were created, and afterwards, the mixtures were incubated for different amounts of time. This allows us to see how far the reaction progresses at different times. After incubation, the mixtures were heated at a higher temperature to remove the enzyme. Afterwards, I learnt about the process involving a micro plate reader that is used to calculate the absorbance and therefore the degree of hydrolysis, using different calculations. It was a very lengthy process! Hydrolysis is an important process for the food industry, as this process can be used to enhance the nutritional value/health benefits of food, so it was really interesting to know how that worked!
While not in the lab, I have been given different research papers related to these processes to better understand the topic. I also got to see some presentations made by students who were finishing one of their engineering courses for their fourth year of engineering. This week, we have also gone to 2 tours with the rest of the WISE SSEP interns. The tours were a fun experience where we gathered knowledge on different career paths, and it was a nice way to get to know the other girls at WISE.
Overall, I am really enjoying my time at WISE. My favorite part is that it is really hands on, and I am able to experience real life applications of different processes. Although it has only been 8 working days, I have learnt so much and got to meet so many great people! I look forward to learning more and completing more procedures, as well as going on more tours and social events!
Cailey L., Chemistry Research Assistant
Hi! My name is Cailey and over the past week I have been participating in the Women in Science and Engineering Student Summer Employment Program. I have been working for Dr. Lindsay Cahill as a Chemistry Research Assistant, at Memorial University. Since beginning the position I have been exposed to and learned about the many different aspects of Dr. Cahill research. Dr. Cahill has multiple projects that have been ongoing while I have been working with her group of graduate and undergraduate students. Personally I have most enjoyed learning about her studies on microplastics found in the human placenta and the effects that this may have on both the mother and child. Within this study I have been able to attend a placenta collection and see the process from the consent to collection. Another project I have been involved in while working alongside one of Dr. Cahill graduate students is informing young kids in summer camps on MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and how it works. This project was designed to provide true and understandable information so that kids feel more comfortable if they ever need an MRI. Lastly, within the WISE program there are multiple workplace tours organized at different locations to educate students on the many different career opportunities. This week we went to the Marine Institute and The Launch in Holyrood. At Marine Institute we were able to see and use the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) simulator, see the flume tank and the full mission bridge simulator for nautical science students. This tour was extremely interesting and provided a wealth of information about the post secondary options available. At the Launch, we observed all sorts of different ROVs used for different aspects of research. I am thoroughly enjoying my position and the experiences I have had so far in the program and feel lucky to work alongside so many intelligent women in science and learn about their research, educational paths and careers!