Lessons Learned in the Lab

Thomas Xia is a recent graduate who majored in Chemistry and Economics. He was awarded a Fall 2016 Independent Grant which he used to conduct research on the role a certain bacteria plays in the inflammation response after intestinal injury under Dr. Ashfaqul Alam. 

When I first began looking for opportunities to be involved in scientific research during my freshman year, my main goal was to find an area of research that really sparked my interest. I eventually began working in Dr. Neish’s lab within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Emory School of Medicine starting the second semester of freshman year. The field of biomedical research definitely felt very foreign when I first began, but under the mentorship of the lab, I gradually became more independent. I eventually began to formulate my own hypotheses and subsequently testing them through innovative experiments that my mentors and I designed together.   

Our lab focuses on investigating the microbiota, which is a term that describes the immensely diverse community of microorganisms that exist within the gut of biological organisms. Interactions between the host organism and the microbiota can be either beneficial or harmful, depending on the type of microorganism and the physical health of the host. We use model organisms such as mice, fruit flies, and C. elegans to investigate the specific physiological effects that certain microorganisms can have on its host. When I first dove into this field of research, I was hooked by not only the novelty of the science but also its tangible results in the real world. For example, researchers in this field discovered certain bacterial species within our microbiota that seemed to confer physiological benefits to the host, such as aiding nutrient absorption or alleviating the symptoms of various gastrointestinal diseases. Today, these bacteria are collectively called probiotics and can be purchased at pharmacies and grocery stores for personal consumption. I had always assumed that academic research was primarily done in order to quench curiosities, but my assumption was clearly wrong as the work done in this field has directly impacted the lives of millions of people.

I think what I found most exciting about conducting my own project was the fact that I could perhaps be uncovering some knowledge that has never been known before. Although my work is unlikely to have some profound, world-changing effect, I still want to contribute to our collective knowledge pool. When I was trying to devise an idea for my first project, I was constantly reading articles by other researchers. Their published findings provided me with a clearer vision for the direction of my own project, which definitely helped me avoid many potential pitfalls. My mentors in the lab were also invaluable during this process, for I was diligent in making sure that they approved each step of my experiment. It was only through their countless feedback that I was able to proudly present my results at the Undergraduate Research Symposium during the spring of 2016.

Seeing the completion of my project from its infancy to final presentation has been one of my most educational experiences at Emory. Hours of scouring the internet for research papers that related to my hypothesis helped to nurture my scientific curiosity. I found myself diving deeper into the literature, following references after references from each paper and reading about topics for no other reason other than my own interest. I gradually realized that my newfound curiosity was extending into many of the classes that I was taking, for I also began to explore the various subjects that I was learning into much greater detail. Class materials became surprisingly interesting, whereas before they seemed more like chores that I had to do.

The project that I am currently involved with involves using C. elegans to investigate Prevotella copri, which is an anaerobic bacterium that is commonly found in the microbiota of many organisms. Earlier this year, our lab noticed that this particular bacterium is very abundant around intestinal cells that were physically injured. Whenever host tissue is injured, there is often a rapid inflammatory response that follows in order to facilitate the recovery process. Given that P. copri becomes significantly more prevalent around injured intestinal cells, we hypothesized that this bacterium could play some role in stimulating host inflammatory responses. To further test this hypothesis, I will feed P. copri to C. elegans and subsequently try to detect thioredoxin-1 (TRX-1), which is a protein found in nearly all organisms and has been linked to inflammatory responses.

Currently, I am still doing preliminary experiments such as trying to find the optimal method of culturing P. copri and nurturing the C. elegans for future experiments. I am also still reading the existing literature on topics that relate to my project in order to perhaps add some additional parameters to my experiments. In my opinion, the preparations that are made before the actual experiment are just as important, if not more so. They also make me more comfortable with the various lab techniques that I will eventually be using to obtain my results. Cleanly obtained results will help to polish the presentation of my project as well as provide better support for the conclusion that I will eventually formulate. 

Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Independent Research Grants.