Xuan's internship: Washington University
Integrated Natural Sciences student Xuan spent her summer at Washington University in St Louis as part of the McKelvey International Student Research Internship Programme. The placement offered a unique opportunity to work in a highly interdisciplinary research environment, develop new technical skills in RNA biology, and collaborate with scientists from a range of backgrounds while experiencing life and research culture in the United States. Here, Xuan tells us more.
Tell us about your placement and what attracted you to it
I spent 10 weeks interning in the Pappu lab at Washington University in St Louis as part of the McKelvey International Student Research Internship Programme (MISRIP). During this placement, I aimed to optimise a protocol for transcription of MALAT1, a long non-coding RNA involved in hypoxic responses and microphase separation.
I was initially introduced to this opportunity by one of my professors, and was attracted to the interdisciplinary nature of the lab. The lab was comprised of scientists skilled in various fields– mathematicians, chemists, physicists and biochemists– who collaborated together with unique individual perspectives to address scientific questions. I found this aspect incredibly enticing as someone who went into the summer with the aim of gaining transferrable skills and a different perspective to view problems from.
What did you learn as part of the placement?
During my time at WashU, I gained a lot of new experience working with RNA, applying the theory of RNA transcription into practical usage. This was through tailoring individual steps within the transcription process in order to produce full length RNA.
Typical RNA protocols and kits are optimised for lengths of <6kB with minimal sequence complexity, and we were aiming to go against this dogma. As such, this placement also challenged how I went about troubleshooting problems, and how I logically thought my way through them.
Were there opportunities to socialise outside of the labs?
I got to enjoy plenty of programme-organised events during my time in St Louis, the highlight being a Cardinals baseball match. Granted, none of us who went understood the rules, and it rained so hard the pitch flooded, but it was an amazing time nonetheless – and we got free shirts.
Aside from that, I met a lot of friends both in and out of the labs, and we went around St Louis enjoying the food and the sights. The botanical gardens were gorgeous, and I’d love to go back again in the future when it isn’t 40°C and we’re trying to hide from the sun.
What did you most enjoy?
I loved getting to meet other students on the programme to share in and enjoy their different perspectives. The social aspect of the internship was just as invaluable to me as the professional experience I gained throughout the 10 weeks. It was so fun to meet with other people who were interested in science, some of whom I’m still in touch with today. The highlight probably was organising an observatory trip together, where we got to operate an old telescope from the 1860s to view the moon, Venus and the stars.
Another highlight was the poster session organised for all McKelvey students at the end of the internship. It was incredibly rewarding to be able to present the culmination of the work I had produced during my project, receive feedback, and also see the other interesting projects other students had worked on.
Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about summer placements?
Don’t be afraid to explore something that might be out of your comfort zone or beyond what you’re used to working with. It might offer some useful insights into alternative ways to viewing a problem.
Internship support at Warwick
There are various support schemes available for those looking for biomedical internships, both internally and externally: