Hello:
I am Eva Nelly Rubio, student of Industrial Biotechnology in the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. There had been passed a month in the program Bio-Minds, and, for me, this is a unique experience. In the lab B-266 with Dr. Carlos Rios Velazquez and Josue Malave, I had learned that the most important thing when we want to do an investigation is to look the literature. To begin working with bio-luminescent bacteria we have to know their main characteristics. These bacteria are present in all the coasts of Puerto Rico, but we can not see its luminescence because it depends on cell density. This is related to a small auto-regulator, the lux auto-inducer, that provides communication between the cells and allows them to sense their population density. This reaction is catalyzed by luciferase and involves the oxidation and reduction of a long chain liberating free energy in the form of a blue green light.
The relationship in the laboratory had been excellent. I feel the support from the graduated students, and also, from my own lab partners of Industrial Biotechnology that work in the same laboratory. I had learned that working in a lab is not easy. It takes much more time that I expected, but I know that this is a great experience and it will help me to develop different skills. I want to thank Dr. Carlos Rios, Josue Malave, and all the lab partners of B-266 for the supporting.
La literatura es el pilar que apoya cualquier proyecto. Alli radica el conocimiento acumulado sobre un tema y nos permite tener un mejor diseno de experimentacion y al final del camino unir las piezas que nos permiten explicar los fenomenos que obsevamos.