Rebecca worked on Expansion Microscopy
Hi! I’m Rebecca, and I am a Life Sciences major. Last year, I spent twelve weeks working in a lab at the School of Molecular Sciences at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia. In the lab, I worked on a project concerning Expansion Microscopy. In this method, cells or tissue are anchored in a hydrogel. This gel is then expanded so that the cells expand proportionally. The cells can then be visualised using a microscope. Due to the gel expansion, the resolution is much higher than before.
I lived in accommodation for international students, where I also met many new people. In addition, there were many other students in the lab who I also spent time with outside of work. In Perth, there are very beautiful beaches and a few nature reserves in the surrounding area which I visited.
I was able to get the internship accredited as a part of my senior profile and I learned many practical lab skills that were useful for my bachelor thesis work. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Perth, and I personally grew in many aspects as a result.
