"Declotting" my first week
Hi, my name is Kala Viswanathan. I am a rising senior at Durham Academy. This summer I am working in Dr. Gow Arepally's hematology lab. I’ve always been interested in science. Last year, my lab based AP Biology class was the highpoint of my day so, I am thrilled to be part of the Howard Hughes program.
These first few days, I was introduced to the basics of the lab. The members of the lab are a resident, a lab tech, two rising college freshman and Dr. Arepally. Everyone is really helpful and answers my plethora of questions. Today, I finished my safety training and learned the ropes of a Standard Elisa test, a test to detect antibodies in blood samples. I’ve differentiated between a Capture Elisa test and a Standard Elisa Test, both of which will be useful for my experiment. I am excited because on Monday I’ll be finding out the specifics of my project.
Besides science, I enjoy playing lacrosse and working on DA’s theater productions. Also, I’m an active follower of the upcoming presidential election.
Here is a photo of a microtiter plate for an Elisa test. I’ll update you soon with details of my project.
