week starting with Lab visit 3- 28th april 2010

Sample from a plate reader -just starting to draw over in Adobe Illustrator -looking for interesting structures and thinking about layering many of the images together to show how the cells change with different concentration of drugs attatched to them ...

notes sketchbook of lab day - I have to remember so many things-I have never heard of a molar before as a form of measurent or Log time table -well I cant remember . I have never needed to use maths since school -its essential -although some of the scientists also share some of my fear of the subject -but not as much as me.
AIM1.To produce concentration response curve for GHRELIN (AGONIST-meaning it stimulates the receptor)
2. To look at the effect of an antagonist(this blocks the receptor)
All these results were done using a 'plate reader' a 96 well plate with around 25,000 cells in a tiny single well.

Also went back on the confocal microscope -looking again how calcium when loaded on the cell causes it to fire up -but not much happened .

I am trying to understand the importance of the scientific principles- its about the principle and of what you are trying to find out. The scientists are trying to look at how different receptors bind and affect the cell with as low a concentration as possible of drugs to get the maximum effect with the minimum concentration. (This is something that is constantly reiterated). They are trying to fimd out how medicines can work in a single cell to really try and slim down the side effects.

Confocal Microscopy has only been around for 30 years and scientists have only been labelling cells for 20 years . Whats remarkable to me is the evolution of science.

Through cell signalling, analysing a range of data - the scientists in this research group want to show how Ghrelin could affect our hunger -how this hormone receptor sends messages to the brain to tell us we are hungry or not. Drug companies take the data and develop the drug. The Scientists are trying to find out how this receptor works.

The implications are significant in our society-with obesity on the rise (its health implications) and on the opposite end of the scale anorexia. Myself I am overweight -three children later and needing to shed the excess!! And its difficult-the thought that a drug could stop people eating too much, to stop some people having to undergo intrusive surgery, to stop other diseases related to being overweight. In our plentiful society we have too much to eat -we dont need to but its so difficult -why can we not be disciplined .