My Essential Question:
Do environmental conditions effect the normal functioning of extracellular matrix tissue and if so what material prevents this effect? Why did I select this question to explore? Extracellular matrix tissue has become a widely used material in the medical field because of its ability to interact with human skin stem cells. I think it's important to understand the different properties this material holds in order to prevent any further damage to the patient. In addition, it is interesting to dissect the material and its packaging in terms of tensile strength and its correlation with function. What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question? The most exciting aspect of finding the answer to this question is going through the experiment and documenting/analyzing my findings to benefit the company where I intern. Being able to research this topic on my own is exciting because it allows me to own my findings and it gives me a sense of independence and an in-depth knowledge of a topic that maybe helpful in my future experiments. I believe it's one thing to research a topic assigned to you from school and another thing to research a topic that you are genuinely interested in. I'm excited to find the answer because the question is personally interesting to me. Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic? I believe this questions is both abstract and concrete enough to allow me to explore the topic in depth. In other words, I feel this questions has given me ample room to explore numerous aspects of the ECM material and thus reflects my desire to find out more about its use and functioning.
0 Comments
This internship experience has help me develop both my academic knowledge and leadership qualities. The project that I am working on requires me to do some independent research on certain materials and machinery such as extracellular matrix tissue and tensile strength machines and although this doesn't directly impact my regular classwork, it has helped me understand certain aspects of biology and anatomy more clearly. In addition, I have grown to understand more about professional work life and what "standout" qualities companies are looking for, such as initiative and communication skills. I've learned how to effectively work independently and with others and how to enjoy doing both. Overall, this internship has become a "partner in my education" both academically and characteristically by allowing me to develop lifelong professional skills.
On my first week interning at Aziyo, my mentor suggested that I meet with other people in the office. I was surprised at how many additional jobs are underneath the umbrella of biomedical engineering. For example, I met with a one person department called Regulatory which is basically in charge of proofreading protocols and reports and acting as the "office diplomat", meaning she meets with people from corporate and pitches new ideas for certification. In addition, I also meet with the sales department which keeps track of all the monetary expenses and ensures that the company maintains a profit. After meeting with all the departments I realized I should keep an open mind about other careers because every job at the company is equally important. If the company lost a department, then the whole company would topple: essentially the maintenance of the company runs on a cycle. When my mentor became a little more comfortable with me, I realized it was difficult and time consuming for him to describe in detail all about the ECM material and the packaging Tyveck material, so I began to do some independent research and watch videos on how to work with the Instron tensile strength machine. Additionally, I make sure I stick to my task and follow protocol! My Profile: Hi! My name is Divya and I am currently a senior at South Forsyth High School! When I'm not participating in after school activities such as Future Business Leaders of America and Jr. Civitan, I enjoy spending my free time drawing and running. I also enjoy volunteering at the Humane Society and participating in Meals by Grace. Furthermore, I have always been passionate about science and I have competed in the science fair and became an active member of science national honors society. I believe it was this passion that influenced my decision to explore the engineering pathway. In addition, throughout my high school years I have completed the computer programming career pathway and enjoyed working with the computer science aspect of many career fields.
My Mentorship: This year I am interning at a biomedical engineering company called Aziyo/Cormatrix. One of there most popular products is the CanGaroo pouch which is made out of extracellular matrix tissue and is used for pacemakers. My mentor, Mr. Vo, decided to give me a project to investigate if environmental conditions can effect the ECM material and how important the packaging material in terms of the preservation of the tissue. At the beginning of my internship, I was given examples of different protocol reports to examined the layout and research general information regarding the importance of the tissue. After learning about the material, I was tasked with understanding the machinery and reading the data charts. For the past couple of weeks, I have been working with an Instron tensile strength machine and practicing with Tyvek packaging material. Soon I will be able to test the ECM material and other animal tissues and write my own protocol report on my findings! My Future: Next year, I plan to continue pursuing the science field. As of now, I hope to major in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Computer Science and this internship experience has effectively prepared me for what's to come. By participating in this program, I have been able to gain real life experience in the engineering field. I also have a better understanding of what is expected of me in the career field and the work life; for example, I have learned the importance of intrapersonal skills and built my leadership skills. I believe this mentorship is great in terms of working with others and learning communication skills as well. |
Divya B.High School Intern at a biomedical engineering company called Aziyo Biologics Archives
May 2018
|