First of all, the pets are doing well. They are both healthy and happy. Bailey is shedding; I think he senses the seasons changing. Bailey also likes having his fur brushed. It's pretty cute.
Wisconsin football games are REALLY fun! I'm so happy that Jimmy and I were able to get season tickets. I had to look up all the rules of football online because although I've watched games on TV, I've NEVER truly known what was going on. Now I know, and I've been watching football every weekend with Jimmy. It's pretty exciting! I wish I could play, but I'm afraid that I'll get hurt.
Classes are OK. We haven't had any tests yet, but I seem to be doing well on my homework. I'm just nervous for the first exams. I don't know what to expect! I am taking one class called Biochemical Methods which teaches us many different biochemistry tools you can use in the lab. I am also taking a class called Prokaryotic Molecular Biology. Prokaryotes are single celled critters like bacteria, and we learn all about their molecular functions.
One thing that I have learned is that Biochemistry methods are different from Genetic methods which are also different from molecular biology methods. People always ask me what I am. Am I a geneticist? Am I a molecular biologist? Am I a biochemist? I always get frustrated when people ask me this. Science is SO advanced and we are learning SO much that I think it's kind of dumb to call yourself one thing. I think it's much better to learn everything that you can from different scientific fields. If you have a bunch of knowledge from all over the place, you'll be able to solve problems better. But that's just my opinion.
Now for the good stuff: lab work! Right now, I am in a lab that works on plants and how they respond to gravity. In general, you plant a seed and the root grows down into the dirt, and the stem grows upward. When you take a plant that is already growing, and you turn it on it's side, the root will sense that (within minutes!) and the root with turn and grow towards its new down direction. The stem will also turn and grow upward. Our lab focuses on the roots. We are trying to figure out how the plant "knows" that it's been turned, and how turns this into a response. I think it's amazing. We have brains and neurons, skeletons, and muscles that help us recognize things and react. Plants do not!
There are some cons to working in a plant lab. Plants take a long time to grow. In the yeast lab, you could grow your yeast overnight and be ready to use them the next day. It takes a while for the plant seedlings to grow, so you spend a lot of time waiting. There are also pros. Plants smell better than yeast. Plant seedlings are cuter than yeast. And, it's therapeutic to plant the little guys. I've included a link to the lab website if you want to check it out.
Other than class and lab, I don't do much. Seriously, it sucks. I feel like I have no life. But slowly, I'm becoming a bigger dork than ever. I actually feel kinda guilty when I'm not in the lab. Weird! What are these people doing to me?!?
Love,
Ashley
Also, I'm in the market for a cheap (aka free) copy of Adobe Illustrator. If anyone can swing me a copy (made for a Mac) I'll be your bestest friend!
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