UH Hilo molecular biology lab preps student scientists for real world scenarios (think Covid-19)
The lab lays the groundwork for future classes in the biology department and also prepares students with useful technical skills for graduate programs like med school.
Story by Samantha Dane/UH Hilo Stories.
Editor’s note: Samantha Dane, a student writer for the Office of the Chancellor, is currently enrolled in this lab.
One favorite practice in my lab on intermediate cell and molecular biology (BIO 270L) is when biology lecturer Davin Vicente, a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo alumnus now teaching in his alma mater’s biology department, explains a complicated concept in layman’s terms. He likens it to the way he’d like his students to explain a concept or technique they’re learning to a family member in the time it takes to ride an elevator. It turns out, for the most basic lab procedures, this is more than enough time for a good explanation and is a good practice for science communication in general.
“I like to make sure students don’t overcomplicate things,” Vicente says. “I always try to make sure they can explain it to a family member in a very precise way without dragging it out too much. Particularly a family member that doesn’t know science that well.”
Vicente says this type of communication practice helps with remembering things long term, especially intimidating-sounding lab techniques like column chromatography, polymerase chain reaction, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (which I promise aren’t that scary because I can now explain them to you during an elevator ride). Vicente says, “if you truly know it, you should be able to take it and simplify it so it’s easy to understand.”
Learning the biology behind real world scenarios (think Covid-19)
The laboratory exercises in the cell and molecular biology lab emphasize the use of modern methods of analysis. The lab lays the groundwork for future classes in the biology department and also prepares students with very useful technical skills for graduate programs like med school and grad school, techniques they’ll be using for their entire scientific careers.
Vicente is quick to point out that many of his friends with a career in the ecology field have needed to use the microbiology techniques taught in the lab.
In one of our recent labs, we worked with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA, which is a common method for detecting antigens (basically the presence of viruses) in your body. It’s the same technology behind covid tests and pregnancy tests, so… pretty useful. Vicente starts off the class with test tubes for every student and one student “infected” with the target antigen. Then, students go around swapping the contents of the tubes.
The end result, using ELISA to visualize who ended up infected, can be surprising (especially pronounced in our lab of six students). Based on who they interacted with during the exercise, students can even piece together the path the disease took, including the original infected student. It’s a good lesson in the science behind disease detection and how quickly disease can spread in real world scenarios, so wash your hands!
The importance of undergraduate lab experience to your future career
Born and raised in Hilo, Vicente came to UH Hilo as an undergraduate student with an undecided major but a decided interest in healthcare and genetics. He took a few introductory and general education biology classes, took a couple more, and ultimately chose biology, focusing on a bachelor of science degree in cell, molecular, and biomedical sciences. He went on to complete his master of science degree at UH Hilo’s own tropical conservation biology and environmental science program and then began teaching at the university. Along with teaching, he initially worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a biological science research technician.
He’s found teaching very rewarding.
“As a student, you should try to gain these (lab) experiences for your resume,” he says. “There are things you should think about ahead of time, like applying for jobs in the future.”
“I try to make sure students gain the experience they need here to get them into those jobs, highlight those experiences from those classes that’ll get them there,” he adds.
Something that has shone through during my time in Vicente’s lab is his teaching style. Even though it’s a relatively by-the-books cell biology course, he takes his time making sure students know the how and why behind every lab procedure.
I appreciate Vincente taking that time to make sure his students get the most out of their journey here at UH Hilo and that enough resources are provided, like a medical school club and lab supplies, for students to truly shine and be prepared for their future careers.
He tells his students, “enjoy college,” noting that not everything has to be about immersing yourself in a single course or discipline.
“There’s a lot of important experiences that you might overlook,” he says. “Make sure you get the most out of it, that you’re not only having fun, but getting yourself ready for the next step, whatever that might be.”
Story by Samantha Dane, a biology major at UH Hilo.
