Oocytes and Fútbol Withdrawal

I haven't posted in a while, mainly because I was sick for over a week and didn't have much news to report. A lot of people at work were sick, too, which isn't surprising considering the way they share a cup of yerba mate with an entire room full of people multiple times per day. Actually, I've heard a few people suggest that maybe we all got sick because Argentina lost so terribly to Germany in the World Cup last weekend. I'm not sure how scientifically grounded that hypothesis is, but what do I know?

My research has been going very well in general. I'm done with three compounds, and I spent a lot of time last week making figures with my data, which I then showed to my PI and e-mailed to the collaborator who made the compounds, since he's really the main person in charge of this project. Both my PI and the collaborator agreed with me that some of my results are very exciting! I have two compounds left, and although I've tried to start working with both of them, I haven't made very much progress because my oocytes were especially uncooperative last week. The new batch that I injected on Friday seemed better, though, so hopefully I'll be able to get more exciting data this week.

At times I feel like in addition to doing electrophysiology, I'm also doing oocyte psychology research. They can be so moody and manipulative! I think they know that for the type of experiments I'm doing, I usually have to get around 20 recordings out of a single oocyte, and that since all of my recordings will eventually be normalized to the final one, my data will be completely useless unless I finish all 20 recordings in the same cell. I've discovered that one of their favorite things to do is to behave perfectly until recording #19, then go ballistic and/or die so that all of my work up until that point and my use of precious reagents will be meaningless. Honestly though, when I try to look at the situation from an oocyte's point of view, I can't really blame them for being so hostile. I mean, if somebody removed me from my natural environment, treated me with all kinds of harsh chemicals, injected me with foreign RNA, impaled me with electrodes, clamped me at an unnatural voltage, forced me to take large quantities of drugs, and ran massive electrical currents through my body, I'd probably be pretty angry as well. I feel like I've tried just about everything to appease the oocytes and will a single cell to make it all the way through an experiment. Maybe it will stay alive if I stare at it? Maybe I should look the other way? Would it help if I talked to it? Perhaps I should pretend like I don't care? Maybe it will behave if I sit perfectly still in one place? Or maybe I should get up and move around between recordings? Well, all I can say is that it's a good thing I'm interested in basic science research, because I have absolutely no future in behavioral psychology. But despite all of the turmoil the oocytes put me through, I really do love the little buggers. Also, after talking with some of the more experienced graduate students and learning that a while back the oocytes stopped working altogether for a year and a half, I've learned to be very thankful for how often they do work.

Friday was 9 de Julio, Argentina's Independence Day (similar to the 4th of July, only the 9th of July instead). There weren't any extravagant celebrations like there were on 25 de Mayo (in part because a country can't afford to go all out like that too often, and I think in part because there is still an aura of World Cup despair hanging over the country), but it was a beautiful day and there was an outdoor holiday market in a park near my lab.

I had fun talking with all of the vendors and buying a few little things. I'm proud to say that I don't think any of them even knew I was American!

As my remaining time in Buenos Aires dwindles, I'm realizing how attached I am to this place. There so many things that I'm going to miss - one that comes to mind is the constant subway entertainment. I'm never bored during my 20-minute subway ride to and from the lab because there are always plenty of people selling completely random items (tissues, hairpins, sticker books, flashlights, cookies, screw drivers), as well as comedy actors and musical performers. The performers and actors usually pass around a hat for money, but sometimes they just ask for applause instead.

This guy was one of my favorites. He played the harmonica, guitar and tambourine simultaneously, and then sang a couple of songs as well. I was so impressed that I gave him a peso AND applause.

I'm a little jealous of all of the IRES students in Europe who got to meet up this weekend. I hope everybody had a great time!