Emotional Attachments (To Science And Whatnot)

I'm still in Blood Bank. Long story short, I don't want to leave it. And they don't want me to leave either. But anyhow, I should be shifting into the biochemistry lab that's just next door on Monday because I can't exactly come back to the UK and say "well, I worked in a lab in Africa for a month...I tested blood groups". 'Tis a bit counter-productive, no? It's been so much fun though! The people I work with have been incredible. They actually make going into work so worth it. I think I laugh more than I work? Not complaining!

No, but seriously, they're so accommodating; I've learnt tons in just these two weeks. I'll be honest, I didn't expect much from the people who work here. At the risk of sounding obnoxious, I didn't think they would know the field as well as we do back home. Yet they're so amazingly knowledgeable about quite possibly everything from genetics to physiology to biochemistry. It's humbling to experience it, to see first-hand just how capable and intellectual these people are, yet they remain dedicated to serving an under-developed country despite the world of opportunities that could arise and potentially change their lives.

And my God do they love to hand over their time. Their patience is something else. They will sit with me and explain how something works, and go over it again and again until I'm confident in knowing it. If I'm confused, they'll grab a pen and paper and do everything to make sure I (eventually) get it. They never get tired of me asking questions or wondering if they can show me something.

One of the guys took me to the TB lab the other day to test patient samples for tuberculosis. The first step was using fluorescence microscopy to view the mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) possibly residing in the patient sample (nasty little rod-like species) and whilst I hate microbiology with a passion, it was admittedly cool to see. And bless his soul, he taught me how to actually use a microscope to get the field of vision. Yes, I'm a medical biochemist who up until a few days ago, remained clueless on how to use a microscope. Don't judge.

(Let's face it, by the time I get back to the UK, I'll have forgotten anyway).

The second step was my personal favourite; any patients who are HIV-positive or have previously had TB that is now recurring, have their sputum samples (basically a gross sample of saliva/phlegm) go through PCR. I've spent the last three years learning about PCR, hell, I even had a three hour lecture on it (shoutout to Mark Carr), so imagine my excitement when I actually got to use it. 'Tis every biochemist's dream.

Anyway. So I mixed the sputum sample with DNA probes specific for DNA sequences found in MTB and placed the cartridge in the PCR machine. The PCR denatured the DNA and if the sputum sample was positive for TB, thus containing the MTB DNA, it would hybridise with the complementary probes and voila, the results are conveyed to a laptop that conveniently tells us if the patient has TB and also the degree with which a person is infected. Fascinating stuff.

And that's my last few days in a nutshell. Blood transfusions and bacteria. Roll on next week!