Fun with Flies

I officially began work as of yesterday. I'm helping a post doc from medicine look at the metabolic reactions of fruit flies which have been genetically manipulated. Now, I am still confused on exactly the mutation's effect. I know he's looking at longevity but is also interested in behavior/learning. I think the mutations affect these two topics. What is interesting about this is that most adaptations that assure a longer life span cause metabolism to decrease, but it seems that in these flies metabolism actually increases.

My project has been put on hold for a while. I will be looking at the effects that dehydration and dehydration/starvation has on the metabolic rate of roaches and crickets. From frogs to crickets. Hopefully my work will return to amphibians soon.

Moving on.....

It didn't really hit me, my new life, until last Thursday when I visited my friend who is leaving the state for grad school. It is ridiculous to think that I have made it this far. I mean, yes I have done the work...and yes I have attained an impressive amount of knowledge....but not the type of knowledge I thought I would have gained by this time in my career. I mean, if it wasn't for my friends during my masters program I probably would have quit. They carried me through the many stages of the project....developing it, doing it, analyzing it..... I mean without them I really wouldn't have completed my project. I wouldn't have known where to start. They were more than my friends, they were my mentors. And now all that has somehow passed. I am actually in grad school. I am actually starting my PhD program. I am actually leaving these last three years behind (well...... almost since my thesis is still at bay).

Now I have the opportunity to start everything anew. Become a "better" student. No procrastinating, always on schedule with new research, always motivated.......but the opportunity to say something stupid is always lingering around the corner.....


Good luck Rhyax!

My first post

I started this blog to document my path to and through grad school. Although I've had it for a while, I haven't actually written anything...so, I guess I'll play catch up. I have been accepted into a PhD program at UCI (in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department with the Comparative Physiologist group). I didn't think I would get accepted anywhere. My grades were ok (not stellar) and my research background was good, but my GRE scores were horrible! I applied anyways (all because of the encouragement of a friend who by the way also encouraged the start up of this blog...and who will be leaving soon for grad school...) and I got in! YEY! Now I have just started this AGEP program, which is a fellowship for minority students. Basically it is designed to get minority students into the department before the program begins in the fall. I just started on Monday, so I still feel kind of weird. My advisor is very nice, really easy to talk to...but I still don't know what is expected......we'll see how it goes...