Sarah Niulikha (April - July 2010)
I did have a wonderful experience in the Department of immunology while working with Dr. Martina Schroeder. I moved to the Lab from the education outreach programme during the month of June and what I learnt was far much greater than the period of time that I spend there. While in the Lab, I was introduced to a number of immunological techniques especially the transfection of mammalian cells that further exposed me to techniques like tissue culture, gel electrophoresis and western blotting. It was a great experience for me getting back to Laboratory work after a very long period of time off bench work and some of the techniques appeared very new and tricky. Thanks to Martina and her team of PhD students who dedicated their time in to helping me learn and do what I would possibly have not managed to do on my own. I did some calcium chloride mediated transfection of Hek 293t cells. The first attempt was a disaster but I slowly learnt to do a number of things that I did not get right on the very first attempt and later did yet another transfection whose results were quite promising. This I would say was my most exciting experience in the Lab ever since I last finished my internship after my bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology. The techniques I was exposed to while working with Dr Martina are very essential and I look forward to using them at some point in my own Msc project this September.
Other than working in the Lab during the month of June, I also committed myself to a number of activities on the education outreach programme. On the 11th of June for instance, I traveled to Palmerstown together with Patsy Tolland of Self Help Africa where I met and talked to very lovely young Irish Kids at St Mary Sch. These young people were very interesting to talk to and I was puzzled by their relentless efforts in to the promotion of better economic standards in Malawi.
Myself with my young friends in Palmerstown.
As young as about 9 years, these kids had raised money through the sale of their toys and old items for the purchase of a pump that could be used for both irrigation and the supply of clean water for domestic use in Malawi. This was a good workshop that ended in good time which in turn gave me an ample opportunity to resume my schedule in the Lab later in the afternoon. I also attended the Sentinus (UK) Young scientist showcase in Belfast on the 21st of June.
Myself at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast during the Sentinus (UK) young scientist showcase.
This was yet another interesting experience where I witnessed Thomas Dunne earn a prize from the University of Ulster in ICT for his project on the use of computer software in the analysis of the Malaria Genome. Later the same week, I was invited to Longford where I visited Ibotz Premises together with Joe Clowry. It was such a delight for me to be down at the premises of this company and yet again I was given a number of Labquest application devices for me to take with to Africa.
This was all courtesy of Padraig Kenny and Idel MulhiVill who received us at Ibotz. My schedule with Dr Martina in the Lab was well planned as I had something to do all of my days in the Lab and there was not a single day that I stayed idle. By the time I was leaving the Lab, I had acquired lots of skills in the transfection of mammalian cells by calcium chloride mediated method. On a number of occasions I did also get an exposure to other techniques used by Martina’s team of PhD students like Ruth who was working on cells meant to be analyzed by confocal microscopy. It was sad indeed for my time of departure to have come at a time when I was really enjoying every bit of my experience on the CDPC training Programme. My special gratitude to Joe Clowry, Martina Schroeder, Noel Murphy, Patsy Tolland and Hayley Coristine alongside the entire CDPC team for making my training with the CDPC a great experience whose impact on my career shall live forever. I also would like to thank Mr. Sylvester McVoey a former teacher of the Colaiste Lorcain School for his dedicated service towards introducing me to the Labquest and the entire experience on the science exhibitions and projects. My special gratitude also goes to Vincent English, Idel Mulhivill and Padraig Kenny of Vernier Europe for their kindness and all that I received from them. I Left Kenya for Ireland with three desires in mind including getting an exposure on the communication of science concepts to young people, learning immunological techniques in the Lab and getting to know Ireland and the Irish way of life and frankly speaking, I earned all of them on my training with the CDPC and many more experiences that were equally interesting. Long Live CDPC and God Bless Ireland and its People.
Current trainees (Ireland)
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