My name is Cameron Reimers and my internship is with Anschutz Medical Labs at the University of Colorado in Denver. I heard about this experience through Dimensions at Cornell, and I am so grateful! I have a passion for research, so I applied right away because I knew I would love it.
I’m living in an apartment in downtown Denver on the Northwest side, about a 10-minute walk from Union Station. I lucked out with the view from my bedroom, as it faces the Rocky Mountains and the Broncos NFL Stadium. I could stare out my window for hours!
It’s about a 30-minute driving commute to Anschutz, and I am primarily working for Dr. Nathan Wlodarchak on development of drugs for Tuberculosis (Tb). Given that Tb is a well-known disease, it was surprising to me that there’s only been one drug made since the 1960s. We are specifically looking at Phosphatase and Kinase drug targets, as they are proteins instrumental in regulation of the cell cycle. Kinase adds inorganic phosphate to molecules, which allows the cycle to proceed. Phosphatase does the opposite, cleaving inorganic phosphate, usually stopping the cell cycle. When Kinases and Phosphatases are mutated, this can lead to unregulated cell division, or cancer. They are good drug targets because of their importance and prevalence in the cell.
I’ve had a great first week in Denver, and it’s been jam-packed! I work every weekday 9-5, and the rest of the time I’ve been using to explore and get comfortable in the area. The first weekend, I saw a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with my mom (who is a Cornell alumni), Erica Reimers ‘98. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. On Tuesday, Dr. Wlodarchak and another lab instructor, Melissa, took me and another Cornell student, Jillian, hiking in the Rocky Mountains. The snow reminded me of Iowa! On Wednesday after work, I solo-d a Rockies baseball game, and even though they lost, I had a great time. On Friday, I had dinner with a Cornell alumni, Mary Elliot ‘98, which was a nice way to close out the week.
Erica Reimers ‘98 and I at the Red Rocks concert for Micheal Franti Friday, May 31.
Climbing on the rock formations at Rocky Mountain National Park Tuesday, June 4.
Selfie from the Rockies game versus the Cleveland Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, June 5.
Group photo from the Rocky Mountains with Dr. Wlodarchak, Melissa, and JIllian Drees ‘27 Tuesday, June 4.Work at first was overwhelming, but I am getting the hang of things. Dr. Wlodarchak and the other researchers at Anschutz are very kind and willing to answer all my questions (and I’ve had a lot.) I keep a notebook during the day where I’ve been note-taking on all the lab processes before I work individually for the rest of the summer. So far I have done Bradford Assays, which are a way to determine how much protein we have in a sample. I am slightly scared of needles, but we use them to pop bubbles in our assay trays. I also have split some cell cultures during growth that we will eventually use to test some of the drug compounds.
Working with a needle to pop bubbles in the Bradford Protein Assay Thursday, June 6.
Splitting cells into smaller culture containers with an electric pipette Friday, June 7.Cornell has definitely prepared me for this internship. I’ve relied heavily on my experiences from the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI) last summer, as well as Cell & Molecular Biology, Analytical Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. I’m very thankful for the faculty that have taught me what I needed to know in order to be a successful research scientist. I still have a lot to learn, but the block plan has taught me to be dedicated and hardworking for longer periods of time.
This experience has been difficult so far, but I am grateful for the challenge, and it has been fun. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for me as I continue to work at Anschutz and explore Colorado.