Carson Walters
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
Over the summer I looked into how Drosophila propagated the signal of its starvation response. These signals formed calcium waves that flowed between fat cells in a cycle. My goal for the summer was to determine which proteins were involved in the calcium wave propagation. I did this by removing different proteins from the Drosophila and then using a fluorescence microscope to see how the signal got disrupted. The more disrupted the signal, the more involved this protein was in propagation.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I was drawn to this project because of how visually beautiful the results can be. In the fluorescence imaging, I used multiple channels to highlight different aspects of the drosophila – such as the calcium levels, individual fat droplets, and fat cells that have the protein of interest removed. By compiling all of these images together, it is as if I created a piece of art.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
In high school, I asked my teachers questions and sometimes they admitted they (and everyone else) didn’t know. I quickly realized that even though society has learned to understand so much, even more has yet to be discovered. This was my draw to research. I could be the first person who ever conducts this study, and going into it I have no idea what the results will be. This unknown is so exciting and keeps me coming back for more.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
My first year of research had one of the worst possible outcomes I could think of. I was tasked with correlating the levels of two proteins and then analyzing how different conditions change this correlation. Unfortunately, when conducting the original test to correlate the proteins, it was unsuccessful. Without this piece of information, the rest of the project would not work. With my knowledge (which was only a few weeks in this lab) I tried to figure things out on my own and find out what went wrong. Eventually, I gave up and admitted defeat to my PI. I thought it was all my fault. I quickly learned that it was, in fact, not my fault. There was something fundamentally wrong with the project and it was impossible to correctly correlate the data. He then guided me on what I should do next. From that experience, I learned that I should never be ashamed about asking for help. My PI was more than happy to lend me a hand and assist me with whatever I needed.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
A bit of advice I have for those interested in pursuing undergraduate research is to have fun with it. This is an amazing opportunity that most people don’t have. It is so easy to compare yourself to others, and once you do, your time in lab will start to feel like a chore instead of something you can look forward to.
If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be?
Trombone
What was your favorite childhood story (written, spoken, or film)?
The Lorax