Day 24: Frustrations

You know what they say... "Nothing is perfect." And my work in the laboratory is no exception. I just have to accept that we don't always get what we want when we want them. We don't always get favorable results on the first try, right? These things... they take time. And that's the sad part. Time is what I don't have right now. And I am even starting to think that maybe 30 days aren't enough. I know it's my own fault. I let myself be distracted by so many things back when I had all the time in the world. So now I am in so much pressure. Maybe this is the reason why I've been acting kind of weird lately. I feel so angry and irritable most of the time. I vent out my frustrations to innocent people. I'm becoming more and more sensitive and emotional. I know all this will be over. I just hope it will all be over soon.

I've got no time to lose. Next week's gonna be one hell of a week for me, I know it. I won't even get to rest and enjoy on my own birthday. Well, that sucks.

Day Whatever: Partials

I doubt that anyone noticed that I haven't posted anything this week. So much more my 30-day countdown, eh? Anyway, this week I started writing my manuscript, making do with the partial results that I have in hand.

So much to do, so little time.

Day 14: Swimming

The usual centrifugation, SDS-PAGE and Bradford assay... nothing new.


The highlight of my day would probably be the overnight-swimming with my family. A little confession coming up. I'm already 19 y.o. but I still don't know how to swim. But hey, it's ok. I know that I'm not the only one who doesn't :P

Day 13: On Dialysis

Today's agenda: Dialysis.

I've done this for the third time already and here are the steps that I follow in dialyzing my crude protein extract.

Step 1: Wash the dialyzing membrane with distilled water.

Step 2: Soak the membrane in boiling water for five minutes.

Step 3: Wash the membrane with distilled water again.

Step 4: Tie one end of the membrane with a cotton string.

Step 5: Fill the bag up with your sample.

Step 6: Tie the other end of the bag with a cotton string.

Step 7: Suspend the bag inside a container filled with the dialyzing buffer.

Step 8: Place the container inside a bucket packed with ice.

Step 9: Stir the dialyzing buffer using a magnetic rod and stirrer.

Step 10: Allow dialysis to proceed for several hours.

Step 11: Change the dialyzing buffer then resume dialysis. Change the buffer after every several hours.

Step 12: Allow dialysis to proceed until the required amount of time is achieved.

Day Ten: Garfield

Day 10. One day wasted. If there's one word that would best describe myself today, it would be "unproductive."  If there were two words that would best describe myself today, they would be "very unproductive." You get the idea... I was just not in the mood to do anything today. Maybe because it's Monday. Monday is like my bum day, if there's such a thing. Every Monday I feel so tired and sleepy and lazy.


Call me Garfield 'coz I hate Mondays.


I need a heavy dose of discipline here!

Days Eight and Nine: Donuts

Day Eight post came out a little... uhm... late and I'm sorry for that. These past two days went by in a flash and I've been very busy and tired. 

Day 8: Dialyzed sample for 24 hours and prepared a total of 6 liters of 10 mM β-mercaptoethanol.

Day 9: SDS-PAGE and Bradford Assay.


And now, to sort of "reward" myself for this week's accomplishments, I bought myself my favorite bavarian- and strawberry-filled donuts! YEAH! Am planning to buy some DVD's later, too. Happy weekend, everyone!

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What's with the short posts? Hahaha!

Day Three: Yet Again

Day three, SDS-PAGE (yet again). Checked on my 2nd electrophoretogram (from Day Two). It's better than the last one (from Day One), no bowling alleys but still not good. :(

Anyway, today's SDS-PAGEing went quite well, probably the result of our two days of practice. I haven't seen the output yet (destaining still in progress) but I sure hope it's better than the last. We'll see on Monday. 


Am not labbing tomorrow. Holiday. Long weekend ahead but I will keep myself busy by dehulling mungbeans. Mmmm... fun! 


Short post much? Blame this major headache!

Day Two: The Bowling Alley Phenomenon

Of the 24 hours of Day Two, nine hours were spent in the lab. First thing I did was to check on the now-completely-destained electrophoretogram from our first SDS-PAGE attempt (see Day One). What it looked like? Hmmm, let's just say that we have discovered a new electrophoretogram phenomenon. The people in the lab called it The Bowling Alley Phenomenon. Here's a snippet of the actual electrophoretogram.

Bowling Alley Phenomenon, get it?


Anyway... Today's agenda: SDS-PAGE attempt #2 and Bradford assay attempt #... uhm... Bradford assay, period. Bradford assay, quite successful ---> proof that, indeed, practice makes perfect. Our assay was not yet perfect, though. But we're getting there. :) SDS-PAGE? Failure (yet again). But as I've said, practice makes perfect. We'll get there sometime. :)


Tonight I'm gonna resume my Heroes Season 4 marathon. Or maybe I'll just finish reading Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters. Whichever I choose to do, I'll do it while eating Bavarian-flavored donuts.


Tomorrow's agenda: SDS-PAGE attempt #3 and summer 2010 registration.