Reflections on 109

Well, another semester's come and gone, but somehow I've never been so sad for a class to end.  I'm writing this just a few hours before I'm going to fly home, but I still haven't quite processed the fact that 109 is over.  It feels like just yesterday Noreen was giving us our orientation lecture and explaining everything we were going to have to do... at the time I felt really intimidated, but this class ended up being my favorite that I have taken at MIT.  I loved that we got to do real science and use real communication techniques, and now I just feel so much more ready for a career in biological engineering than I had at the outset.  I also was a huge fan of all of the modules: I'd wanted to do something similar to each, but had never had the chance.  I'd never worked with mammalian cells or genetic instability before, I'd wanted to work with CRISPR since I learned what CRISPR was, and I'd wanted to make a phage-templated battery since I started my UROP in Belcher lab.  This gave me experience in fields I'd never had exposure to, and being able to talk about my findings in each gave me so much confidence that I'll be ok in grad school doing work in new fields.  Plus, all of the modules had a high awesomeness factor.  Genomic instability?  Cutting-edge cancer research.  CRISPR?  It's the hottest thing in the field right now.  Virus batteries?  They're batteries made out of viruses!  Every day in the lab was like Christmas, I just got to science with all of these really neat things, and figure out how all of them worked!

 
Of course, 109 wouldn't have been the same without the teaching faculty.  You all are really what made this class fantastic.  You were always available for advice and to get help when I needed it.  I just felt so supported, even during points in the semester when sleep wasn't happening and I felt pretty exhausted and miserable, 109 always managed to re-inspire me and remind me why I wanted to come to MIT for biological engineering in the first place.  Your kindness and enthusiasm motivated me so much and I really just want you to know I'm really grateful for everything that you've done. 

Professor Engleward and Professor Belcher, you are not only incredible researchers, you are also amazing teachers and it was so wonderful to get to experience some of your research.  Emily, thanks for all your help in lab with mammalian cell culture and beyond, you're the best!  Jifa, you are the master of phage batteries, thank you for your help on module 3!  Sean and Diana, your help made communicating so much less daunting; I learned so much from you and feel so much more confident in my abilities.  Leslie, thank you for all your help in office hours and in lab too, I really appreciated it!  Noreen, you are an incredible teacher, I was constantly in awe of all of the work you put into this class, you're a force of nature.  Maxine, thank you for always being there when I had a question in lab or anytime; your kindness, optimism, and guidance are what helped me get through 109.  Thank you, also, to my lab partners: Sarah, for her cheeriness and deep and abiding knowledge of all things plant, and Trevor, for his humor and fabulous work with us on mod 3.

It's been real everybody.  I hope to see all of you again down the road!  Here's wishing everyone lovely holidays and a happy new year!