Lab+8+-+Musings+of+Emily+Weidner-+Bend+Research+Inc.

﻿Team Emilyface

= __Bend Research Inc. March 4th, 2011 __ =

It never ceases to amaze me that there are actual real-world applications for chemistry and organic chemistry. It's not that they aren't out there and I don't know about them, but after you do "x" amount of chem activities it's pretty easy to forget that most people don't have their heads buried in books all day. However, we as students do have our heads in the books 24/7 so it was a very nice experience to leave school, remove books from the equation and finally learn to appreciate the potential value our educations might have in the future.

The staff at BRI was amazingly accommodating considering the type of research they do there. I was pleasantly surprised at their willingness to answer all questions asked (although there were only a few) and the areas and labs shown to us. It could have been an extremely brief and curt visit but they were helpful and almost eager to basically parade us around the facility. It was inspiring being there and I seriously contemplated switching to chemistry after the tour, they get to work with some jaw-dropping equipment there. I had no clue that they were such a prominent research facility, so I feel safe in saying that the Bend area residents and scientists are lucky to have such an exceptional thing close at hand.

The main aspects that stood out to me the most were the SEM and the equipment and procedures used to test the drugs in the gastrointestinal system. First off SEMs are BADASS! I would be a chemist/microbiologist/biological engineer et cetera if I could work with that all day long. I am sure that it gets tedious and humdrum but I am almost positive that I could tinker with the SEM for a good 10 years before it got old. The images that you can create from a SEM are phenomenal. It's like looking in a kaleidoscope, you will always find something new or have a new pattern.

The tests used for deciphering gastrointestinal effects on the drugs were fascinating. Those are things that many overlook or don't even concern themselves with when they are taking a particular drug, myself included. The number of tests performed daily, the sterility of the environment, and the careful procedures shows how dedicated and industrious the researchers are. The recreation of the GI tract's environment was a particularly impressive part of the tour. I can only imagine how much time and effort goes into creating and maintaining those tiny little environments.

All in all it was a great lab and we had an excellent yield of PMA! The BRI tour was an unbeatable conclusion to my organic chemistry career, well it could have been topped if you put cesium in some water...

[]

Believe it or not I am truly sad that I am not taking the class next term. I will miss the ochem angst that permeates Ochoco, the great friends that I have made and most of all I will miss your ridiculously funny and dry wit. Thank you for everything Carol.

Here is a SEM image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex's broken thigh bone. The ball-like projections were thought to be soft tissue (collegen) but instead seem to be some sort of biofilm. Sweet! Even paleontologists use SEMs!

This is so excellent. Some day you are going to know Dinosaur Mary and Jack Horner and everybody, and I will be able to say, "Yeah, I was there when she visited BRI on a field trip."

We will miss having you in class, too. You have kept the conversation at a high level, and that makes for a richer experience for everyone in the room, including me.

Retrieved from: http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2008/07/a_closer_look_at_dinosaur_soft.php **Iron oxide framboids. ** An iron oxide framboid cluster in dinosaur trabecular bone found commonly throughout time and taxa. At approximately 10 microns in diameter they are closely matched in size to red blood cells and typical pyrite framboids. UWBM 89327 Scale bar, 3 μm.