Performing cell culture

Author: Vitali Maldonado | Major: Biomedical Engineering

My name is Vitali Maldonado. I am a junior in Biomedical Engineering, and my advisor is Dr. Rebekah Margaret Samsonraj from the same department. It has been almost a year since I started researching in Samsonraj lab. Our lab focuses on developing and biomanufacturing novel cell-based therapies. The focus of my research is improving mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation ability into musculoskeletal lineages. At the beginning of my research training, due to the pandemic restrictions, we had limited access to the lab. During that time, I started with reading, writing, and conducting literature review about MSCs and its clinical applications. After a couple of months, I was able to get started with hands-on research experience of working in an actual research laboratory. As time passed, I became familiar with the lab procedures and got better at them. Currently, I am actively working with MSCs where I am performing experiments and collecting data in a routine manner. I hope to publish my research in a peer-reviewed journal within a year as well as attend at least one national conference to present my results. I’m also currently working on a review paper that we plan to submit for publication.

I met my research advisor through the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) GroupMe. Someone in this group said that Dr. Rebekah Margaret Samsonraj was interested in training undergraduates interested in research. As soon as I read this message, I talked to her and let her know my interest in her lab. After meeting a couple of times, she notified me that I was selected to work with her. This was a great experience to have in the sophomore year and since then I have been engaged in assisting multiple projects in the lab.

My research over the summer of 2021 focused on improving MSCs differentiation into cartilage cells using epigenetic agents (CytoD, melatonin, and curcumin). We are working to improve the efficacy of these cells for treating osteoarthritis, a painful disorder that wears the cartilage over a period of time. Although MSCs are being trialed for several clinical conditions, there are limitations surrounding their unpredictable in vivo outcomes. Here, Dr. Samsonraj and I are developing minimally invasive strategies to ensure that MSCs robustly differentiate into functional, cartilage cells.

The selection of my research topic was pretty straightforward because my advisor helped me in choosing it, and I have been excited about the idea since the beginning. Dr. Samsonraj has provided me with hands-on training on cell culture best practices, protein quantification, Western blotting, and cell staining, to name a few. I have also learnt how to follow protocols and procedures while conducting experiments. I have also taken responsibilities for assisting with regular lab maintenance tasks which are very helpful in developing me as researcher. As with any experimental research, my learning curve involved mastering how to use micropipettes and measure accurate volumes. I realized for the first time how shaky my hands were while dispensing media or buffers. With time, I have become better and now I am also able to train new students who join the lab. This has been a rewarding experience so far and my mentor has placed huge confidence in me and I want to keep getting better at what I do. Another important lesson I learnt is to be organized.  The first time I changed media, I forgot to label the tubes containing the media for the experimental group and the control group. Since the color of the media looked the same, I could not distinguish between them and I had to discard those tubes. Since then, I have been very careful about being organized in labelling samples and tubes. Also, I learned that it is important to have everything set up before starting the experiment to leave the cells the shortest time possible outside the incubator.

My advisor and other lab members are highly supportive and  collaborative throughout the experiments. They always made sure I had all the equipment, materials and supplies I needed before starting the procedures. My advisor guided me every time there was a new step. She explained and showed me what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Overall, I think this is one of the most exciting times in learning how to do research, taking responsibility of my tiny living cells that I grow/culture in the lab, and to become the best at what I do.

In a couple of years, I see myself researching in the field of regenerative medicine. Therefore, I want to get a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. I want to contribute to the general knowledge through my publications and experiments. Finally, I want to help the medical field to find more effective treatments for diseases that still do not have them.