Griff Thomas Post #1

I started my biomedical engineering internship on Monday, and it is not what I was expecting. I was thinking that I would be working with medical devices. Instead, I am growing lung cells in fluid that mimics body fluid and trying not to contaminate any of the samples. A big point in this internship is that nothing can be contaminated or else the cells will die. The cells need to be protected from us because we can kill them. The concept behind why I am doing this lab though is very interesting. These lung cell cultures are used in research on a type of lung condition where a part of the lung fills up with fluid. If this happens, a ventilator has to be used to pump out the liquid, but if there is too much pressure, the ventilator can kill cells inside the lung. Dr. Guchi, my supervisor, studies the liver cells but also the ventilator and how to create a safer one. One challenge that I have come across during my internship is that Dr. Guchi has a fairly thick accent because he moved to the United States from Japan. It is difficult to pick up everything he says, but it forces me pay close attention to everything he says. The internship is requiring a lot work and concentration, but I am excited to keep moving forward.