Science Requires Precision – and Patience
Like all worthwhile endeavors, science requires patience. That is precisely what Shannon Carey ‘25 discovered through her research in the lab of Siavash Amon, Ph.D., of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. A biology major from Liverpool, N.Y., Carey worked with a model organism called Caenorhabditis elegans, commonly known as C. elegans. More specifically, she studied how isolated bacteria from the gut microbiome impact the symptoms and lifespan of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in C. elegans. Her responsibilities included making buffers, learning new laboratory techniques, and maintaining strains of C. elegans. She also began collecting data on the lifespan of the organism.
Carey hopes that her work will help to shed light on how the gut microbiome composition can further impact neurodegeneration and symptoms associated with neurodegenerative diseases which, in addition to ALS, include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Additionally, she would like to identify metabolites produced by these bacteria and how they may reduce or exacerbate ALS-related movement symptoms in C. elegans. The research she conducted in Amon’s lab also brings her one step closer to her goal of collecting data for her Integral Honors Thesis and, hopefully for a future publication.
Conducting this research was transformative for Carey. It allowed her to witness her experimental design come to life and to apply what she had learned through her coursework and her readings. It reinforced for her what is required to be a good scientist, namely dedication and creativity. She found that research is not a linear process. Natural and human errors can and will occur. But when they do, the important thing is to push through and come up with alternate solutions.
The biggest lesson I took away from this experience is that science takes time. Where I wanted to be by the end of the summer was completely different from where I was, for reasons outside of my control. The important thing for scientists to remember is not to get discouraged and to keep working toward your goal.”
Carey’s research in the laboratory of Siavash Amon, Ph.D., was made possible by the Ignite Fellowship, which helps students with the costs that are often associated with internships, including food, housing and the inability to work another job.
