I am a senior studying biochemistry, molecular, and cellular biology at UNH. During my sophomore year, I joined Dr. Sousounis’s lab, where we study the cellular mechanisms behind lens regeneration in the newt, Pleurodeles waltl. This research is important because it has potential applications within human medicine. My experience in the lab led to a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant this past summer.
While participating in undergraduate research is often encouraged for a resumé boost or acceptance into graduate school, there is so much more to this experience than what meets the eye. Undergraduate research experience adds to your professional and personal growth while pursuing intellectual interests. Teamwork, adaptability, and time management are just a few reasons to get involved. In fact, there are a multitude of ways research can help you develop important skills, especially those that extend beyond the typical laboratory setting. Throughout my time as an undergraduate researcher, three skills continue to stick out to me: problem solving, attention to detail, and resilience.
Problem Solving
A significant aspect of research is asking questions, many of which will go unanswered. To advance in research it is imperative to ask questions from different perspectives and create hypotheses that span the entirety of a particular subject. Do not be afraid to explore unchartered territory of an interest, as it may contribute to your knowledge of other areas. Research is an ever-growing field with room for exploration, and the nature of research requires participants in this journey to become more flexible when finding solutions.
Problem solving encourages a shift in your mindset to become open to different possibilities and forces an individual to reevaluate personal opinions. In my research lab, which studies tissue regeneration, we are constantly examining experimental protocols, data, and subsequent analysis processes to solve problems and determine the best course of action for moving forward. For example, we visualize tissue under a microscope to form anatomical observations. Within this step, we must cut the tissue samples into very thin slices. These pieces are so thin that tearing often occurs, causing the sample to be useless for analysis. When this happens, we are taught to utilize problem solving skills to determine the source of the issue (angle of the blade, speed of sectioning, dull blade, etc.).
Problem solving helps you learn why something works the way it does and goes beyond the principle of how to make improvements to the system at hand. The ability to continue advancing problem-solving skills is an attribute that will serve you well in many areas of your professional development past your undergraduate career. No matter how long you are involved in research, you will continue to home in on your problem-solving skills with experience.
Attention to Detail
As you can imagine, experiments require precise attention. Protocols often require complicated steps, microscopic measurements, and thoughtful decision making. Even the smallest mistake can cost you the possibility of obtaining reliable results. Thus, having a strong attention to detail is necessary to carry out research—it is in no way optional. The ability to focus on the minute details of an experiment will give you confidence in the reliability and accuracy of your results and conclusions. With practice, this will become an instinctual habit. For example, we sometimes perform microscopic eye surgeries to remove the lens to observe the regeneration process. This action requires precise movements and attention to detail, as even the slightest mistake can result in an unnecessary injury. In doing so, you will notice how all the little details contribute to the end goal of a project, regardless of their respective impact. Every choice matters, and this will lead you to become more conscious of your decisions.
Resilience
If you ask anyone in research about their projects, you will discover that research proposals never go according to plan. Equipment will malfunction, experiments can provide inconclusive results, and chemicals do not always behave the way you expect. There are an endless number of errors that can pop up unexpectedly throughout the research process. While you may not know why these inconsistencies are occurring at that moment, they can lead to a much larger lesson on the importance of resilience. Research may feel like a dead-end when you are not seeing positive results, however it is important to keep a positive perspective when accumulating “failures.” In research, the lack of results will often result in redirection. Sometimes this information leads you down a different path, and sometimes it helps researchers pinpoint where the true potential lies within a particular research endeavor. Instead of seeing failure as the end of your path, it is crucial to gain the ability to turn around and go another way. There is no one “correct” way to complete research, and in a similar way, there is no “correct” way to achieve your goals. Regardless of the outcome, resilience is an important skill that will serve you outside of the laboratory setting to help you bounce back from failures or misdirection in life.
Research has provided me with countless skills that I find myself using every day. Of these, improving my problem-solving ability, heightening my attention to detail, and reinforcing the importance of resilience have been crucial to my growth as a college student. From my SURF experience, I discovered a passion for lens regeneration and elected to complete a senior thesis in Dr. Sousounis’s lab. After graduation, I plan to attend medical school and continue conducting research in ophthalmology.
