The (Real) Scientific Method

Amber Feng is a senior majoring in Biology. She was awarded a Summer 2018 Independent Grant which he used to conduct research on gene expression in cancer cells under Dr. Hyunsuk Shim.

When I first joined Dr. Shim's lab, I had no research experience other than one and a half semesters of introductory biology lab. Although I felt comfortable with pipetting and counting C. elegans under a microscope, I had little understanding of the larger implications of research and what it truly meant to be a scientist. I have always learned about the “scientific method” which, to me, meant reading literature, performing experiments, and writing papers. I thought the process would be relatively linear, rather than branched and filled with unexpected turns. 

The first thing I realized about research was how incredibly meticulous and unpredictable it is. A relatively simple experiment may not yield the same results if repeated two times. At times, the data may be contradictory or even completely inconclusive. I learned that much of the role of a researcher is to troubleshoot every single possibility of what could have gone wrong in order to make adjustments in the  protocol for the next repeat. Even seemingly simple experiments could go wrong in a dozen different places. Although extensively troubleshooting can be frustrating, the satisfaction of finding the error is incredibly gratifying.

Throughout my time in this lab, I have assisted in numerous projects in various subjects. I have found that my laboratory is rather multi-disciplinary, with individuals working on different topics. Some of the first projects I participated in with were in drug discovery to find safe and effective anti-inflammatory drugs. At other times, I collected data with mice to evaluate anti-depressant efficacy. I have also participated in clinical research, analyzing glioblastoma patients' surveys for depressive symptoms. More recently, I assisted in breast cancer studies targeting interactions of microRNAs in triple-negative breast cancer, a specific subtype of breast cancer that is notoriously aggressive and difficult to treat. From all my experiences, I have been able to see multiple types of research and have gotten a closer view of the life of a researcher. 

In my current project, I investigate the interaction of KLF12 and microRNA 206, two modulators of gene expression, on the proliferation and invasive potential of triple negative breast cancer. This had been my first time starting a project from scratch, from reviewing preliminary data to reading countless papers to writing my own project proposal. Working independently on a project was new to me because for the first time, I, alone, had to be the expert in this topic. I could ask my supervisors for assistance on planning and running experiments but at the end of the day, I had to interpret my own results in the context of the available published literature. Although this project was daunting at first, I eventually realized how valuable this experience was. Compared to working under other researchers, I have more freedom to revise my methods and add new experiments as I feel the need. With Emory's research grant, I have even more freedom in purchasing supplies for experiments that I would not have been able to obtain otherwise. After two years of assisting with others' projects, for the first time, I truly feel like a researcher able to answer questions and improve upon our understanding of science. I am excited to continue exploring what the real scientific method is—that things aren’t always straightforward but rather filled with numerous roadblocks along the way. 

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