Grateful Goodbyes - Jaynie Criscione

In my final week, I am cleaning up my lab space and preparing to leave. We had our final presentations last Friday (on my 21st birthday) and a final lunch at Wok Dynasty. Everything happened so quickly that I have trouble processing it. Tomorrow morning, we fly back to the US and return as if nothing happened, and yet, we had an unforgettable summer in a foreign country.

Final Lunch with the CTT Lab Group at Wok Dynasty

Giving My Final Presentation to the Life Science Team

My final experiment was another impedance assay using the active sparrow chip on the mutated E. coli strain, which doesn’t form biofilms. I discovered that the active sparrow chip can detect differences in impedance between biofilm and non-biofilm forming strains. 

I also cultured both the wild-type and the mutant strains on a “dummy” chip (a chip with no wiring or functionality). I used a dummy chip to simulate the conditions of the active sparrow chip. My goal was to find the optimal conditions in which the mutant strain would outcompete (overtake) the wild-type strain when grown together. If I succeeded, I could replicate the same experiment on the active sparrow chip to test if it could detect the competing behavior. Though I saw some of the mutant growing with the wild-type, I couldn’t definitively conclude which conditions were optimal. These findings suggest further research is needed.

This internship was a unique experience. I was given responsibility, independence, and respect, and treated as a colleague and not a student. I learned that I am adaptable and capable of learning new programs. Most of all, I am more comfortable asking questions and asking for help; something I didn’t feel during my first years at JHU. 

Me (left) with my supervisor Erkuden (right)

Living in Belgium helped my mental health too. The low-stress atmosphere decreased my anxiety about my work and being self-critical. I was able to enjoy my work while traveling, and felt refreshed when I returned to lab. This contrasts with the chaos I sometimes feel during the school year, especially during exams period, which can hinder my productivity and success. 

I still aspire to attend medical school after I graduate, but I know I want to continue traveling. Traveling has helped me understand alternate work and life perspectives and how people live and think differently. I have a better sense of the “why” behind how countries operate and how culture is established. Long-term collaboration between countries is key to progressing science because the science community includes all humans, not just Americans or Belgians. 

Last weekend, I took a trip to Switzerland to visit a friend. We went to a town outside of Geneva called Nyon. Nyon had a beautiful old town that maintained the authenticity and charm of the time period it was built. I realized I enjoy visiting local towns rather than cities due to the cultural significance. While cities have gorgeous landmarks, they are often not as representative of the country’s culture in comparison with local towns and villages. 

Nylon in Switzerland

Montreaux in Switzerland

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at imec, INBT, and to my family for supporting me throughout this experience. Thank you very much for reading!