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LATEST PROJECTS

Project | 01

Individual Project | Hawaii Science Camp​  - June 13th - July 24th, 2018

Getting exposure from real research conducted by phd student and being able to take part in helping them was a meaningful experience for me. I worked in Dr. Brent Sipes’ lab with a friend from wells, a grad student, and other lab members. Our lab is about enhancing biological insect control, Protecting Entomopathogenic Nematodes against UV radiation and dehydration. 

  • Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

  • Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

  • Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

  • Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively

  • Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

  • Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions

Learning Outcome

IB Learner Profile

  • Risk Taker

  • Inquirer

  • Knowledgeable

  • Communicator

Investigation

The Hawaii Science camp was designed for students who are passionate and interested in gaining experience towards the STEM field. It provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and expand our knowledge in the sciences with life-responsibility skills. Growing up as one of the triplets, this was the first time I was able to be fully independent. I got to not only travel to another country, but also learnt how to overtake new challenges without the help of my sisters, brother, and the rest of my family. Adding on, I am interested in pursuing pharmaceutical science in the future, which the UH science camp was the best way to spend my summer. 

Preparation

Before starting the trip to Hawaii, we had to do some research about the lab itself. The lab was specifically based upon 'Protecting Entomopathogenic Nematodes against UV radiation and dehydration' which was something I never heard of before, therefore, this had expanded my knowledge in the sciences. This is actually a major problem because nematodes helps the plants kill insects and pesticides but it's not very efficient due to the radiation of the sun killing it. This project then specifies on different concentration of 'sunscreen' can be applied to the nematodes without killing it. With myprofessor and undergraduate being there, they assigned me to do small tasks such as counting dead/alive under the microscope, washing dishes, preparing the concentration of each chemical, etc. 

Action

Throughout the camp, I spend most of my time in the lab, from 9am-12pm then 1:30-4:00 helping my professor and undergraduate perform as many trials as possible.  During the first few weeks, we spent time improving the efficiency of the EPNs functions on the aboveground applications and finding the optimal concentration of barricade, fire blocking gel. Later on throughout the trip, we continued the lab by evaluating UV chemical protectants for EPNs and demonstrate enhanced insect control with EPN protected from UV and desiccation. I also got a chance to use new tools such as pipet, shaking incubator, and different types of microscopes. As the first three weeks passed by, the procedure had become a routine and seemed easier. Lastly, in the last week, we had a chance to process our data collecting and analyse the graph.

Reflection

Throughout the 6 weeks in University of Hawaii Manoa, I got a chance to start fresh with new people in a new place for a short period of time, but it was the best six weeks in my life. I enjoyed playing with the chickens, looking at unique plants, and breathing fresh air every-time I walk to the lab. I also enjoyed the kindness of people in the lab, how much they care for us when we went to the bathroom for too long. Although washing dishes was a pain, It taught my a lot of life lessons. I’ve learned 3 essential things; responsibility, time-management and communication. These 3 lessons have taught me to be a better person.

Demonstration

At the end of this camp, this experience assures me that I want to pursue science in my future university and job. It made me realize how much I enjoy doing lab work everyday and process the data. Linking back to when I was learning intro to chemistry and biology, the main reasons that made me so passionate was that I got a chance to actually perform the small experiments on my own. Most importantly, I had a chance to made new friends in a foreign country and gain strong positive relationships with them. 

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