I have a lot of new experiences to talk about for this week. I had my first experience in a clean room environment where we made masks. I believe a masks is a glass/chrome plate covered with photo resist. It is then etched with a laser. The etching pattern is entered into a computer and the computer tells the laser what to do. We etched this plate and then developed it as you would when you develop a photo in a print shop. The plate was placed in a stripper that exposed the pattern and then into a developer where the photoresist was removed and the pattern was further exposed. This plate/pattern will be used in the next step that will lead to the final product. We will continue to learn about this process step by step or week by week. I hope to have a better understanding as each week progresses.
We also learned how to culture or grow cells. I have not done this since college, which was so long ago. The process was very easy to understand but it is the technique that is crucial. When working with live cells, one must be very sterile or the cells will be contaminated and no good. We used cells that were frozen in -80 degrees celcius-COLD! They were thawed out in room temperature water as to slowly warm them without harming them. They were brought into a fume hood where all the equipment and materials were sterilized with 70% ethanol. The cells were placed in a growth medium that contained phenol red dye. A change in dye color indicated that the cells were ready to divide. The cells were then split into two other growth plates si more cellular division could take place, hence more growing of cells to be used in experminentation.
This RET experience is getting better and better each week!!
We also learned how to culture or grow cells. I have not done this since college, which was so long ago. The process was very easy to understand but it is the technique that is crucial. When working with live cells, one must be very sterile or the cells will be contaminated and no good. We used cells that were frozen in -80 degrees celcius-COLD! They were thawed out in room temperature water as to slowly warm them without harming them. They were brought into a fume hood where all the equipment and materials were sterilized with 70% ethanol. The cells were placed in a growth medium that contained phenol red dye. A change in dye color indicated that the cells were ready to divide. The cells were then split into two other growth plates si more cellular division could take place, hence more growing of cells to be used in experminentation.
This RET experience is getting better and better each week!!
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