First, a few pictures from the Lynn lab. I grew my E.coli and expressed protein there. Click for larger images. For 30 sec video involving the 4th picture, see this link.
I'm told that this desk I'm at has lain vacant because it's in the same room as the sonicator (noisy instrument for lysing cells - i.e. exploding E.coli w/ sound waves). However, I've found the noise when it is on to be not half so bad as I remembered.
And, it turns out this desk is near all the bacterial/culture equipment - AND - the lab's only bunsen burner!! ... SCORE! No one will ever know, but I've secretly claimed this bunsen burner as mine, in my head. MINE. I didn't know where it was until yesterday. I feel more secure with it so close by.
My old lab was a genetics lab - everyone had a bunsen burner on their bench and used it CONSTANTLY. The Salaita lab is mostly chemistry - no one has a bunsen burner on their bench and there is also fewer glassware and no one minds if it's not autoclaved. It's a whole different atmosphere. But, as long as I know where the bunsen burner is and it's near me, I am more than happy. I was worried I would have to go without some pieces of equipment I was used to - but I've finally satisfied myself that is not true - all 'the essentials' are there in one form or another and I finally know where they all are, mostly.
Yoshie gave Yuan (2nd yr grad student in Salaita lab) and I a grand tour of protein purification today. Anil asked us if we traveled in packs when he passed us in the hall.
To see a 14 sec video of sonication see this link. I took it mostly to show mom and dad what a sonicator sounds like and prove to them that no, I am NOT being deafened by having my desk near a sonicator (they ask me this question almost daily).
The Weinert lab has a sci-fi-like centrifuge of doom. It sings to you prettily when you turn it on. I've never seen a centrifuge with a touchscreen attached to it that makes such modern noises. And it spins things so fast, it needs a vaccum to pump out the air. We spun our samples at 67,000 g's and that was only half of it's capacity. However, it got angry with us and said it had a slow vacuum error. It eventually worked though.
The Main Lab
Fluorescence Microscope Room
This room houses the TIR (total internal fluorescence) microscope and other equipment that I don't know much about yet. But it looks very cool.
This is a small room adjoining the microscope room. It grows mammalian cells! Not E.coli. No E.coli is welcome here! It's very interesting looking. A saw some mammalian cells at Tech during the tour. They seemed very alien. Maybe one day, I will work with some.