Sequencing a Whole Human Genome has been the most interesting experiment for me. The human genome is around 3 billion base pairs long. So what we do is we read every single one of these bases. By doing this we are getting all of the genetic information on that person that we possibly can!
I work on an immune cell called the macrophage. Macrophages are like powerful, hungry soldiers that can eat up invading enemies, like bacteria. Its how they fight against diseases and keep you healthy in case you get infected with something dangerous. However, sometimes macrophages can become angry at the wrong cells (our own body’s cells) and start attacking them instead thinking our own body cells are enemies. This is what leads to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Scientists studying autoimmune diseases are trying to find ways to calm down angry macrophages and make them chill again. For me, the most interesting experiment was finding out how I could look under a microscope at macrophages, add bacteria on them and they became all big and activated. But when I added a potential chemical that could calm them down, and looked at them the next day, they looked their normal happy self.
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