Cooking in a Better Kitchen: Neuroscientists Go Molecular
By Neal Cosby, Ph.D.
Promega Corporation
There are 6 pages to this Feature:
Molecular Approaches to Neuroscience - The Main Course - A Satisfied Customer - Q&A - BTC - Photos & References
Molecular Approaches to Neuroscience
"...I had a much better understanding of the language of the techniques so
that I could better interact with the people in the lab who were doing the work."
--Allan I. Basbaum, UCSF
Many scientists liken working in a molecular lab to cooking. The conventional wisdom is
that the gourmet, perhaps even the gourmand, makes for a better bench scientist. The
reasoning? Well, much molecular lab work resembles cooking---from preparing the reagents,
cultivating cultures, measuring mixes and reactions, knowing how and how long to heat the
"dish." The metaphors rise like well-leavened bread. Although not always
pleasing to the sense of smell, the molecular lab is definitely recognizable by its
redolent odors of bugs, buffers and chemicals.
 Lih-Fen
Lue carefully loads sample into a protein minigel. Attempting to correctly
deliver a few microliters of a precious sample into a nearly translucent well only a bit
wider than a pipet tip is a challenge at first try. After the umpteenth gel, though,
sample loading becomes second nature. The tools of molecular biology involve exact sample
manipulations, which can bring any scientist to his or her knees, literally. It's just one
right of passage into the esoteric world of molecular biology.
If you're not a natural cook, the molecular lab can be a daunting place---populated by
so many unique utensils and fresh ingredients ready to spoil and not far removed from the
watchful eyes of cantankerous diners (a.k.a. granting agencies) who will only pay for the
best cuisine. The BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI) and Promega Neurosciences offer a training
course in recombinant DNA technologies for classically trained neuroscientists wanting to
learn molecular biology.
Early this summer, science students from across the United States congregated in
Madison for five days of intensive training and instruction in Molecular Approaches to
Neuroscience. From the classically trained neuroscientist to the
non-neuroscientist, these students gathered to hone their laboratory skills in molecular
biology and to learn new ones.
Most came to learn, some to improve, but all wanted to enhance their practical
understanding and hands-on use of molecular techniques. Mary Behan, a neuroanatomist at
the University of Wisconsin,  enrolled to "learn the language of molecular biology...the readings,
lecture presentations and finally seeing what it was all about. It took the mystery out of
molecular biology." This sentiment was echoed by many of the class participants.
Mary Behan, University of Wisconsin, preparing samples for electrophoresis.
Mary is currently studying how age and gender affect the brain serotonergic system,
especially the areas involved in sleep and breathing disorders, and is interested in
furthering her training because she "doesn't want to be technically limited."
Learning these molecular techniques first-hand now allows her to better interact with
colleagues, whether on a daily basis at her institution or at national meetings such as
the Society for Neuroscience Annual meeting. An additional bonus of the course has been
the initiation of collaborative studies with fellow neurobiologists. There's no doubt that
new techniques enhances networking opportunities.
"Participating in the course took the mystery out of molecular biology...I
lost a lot of my intimidation."
--Mary Behan, University of Wisconsin
Who Came to Dinner?
The advanced scientific course was held at the BTC
(on the campus of Promega Corporation) in Madison, Wisconsin. Although each student
presented a unique background and training in science, all came together to learn.
Students from industry and academia came to enhance their knowledge and understanding of,
not to mention practical experience using, molecular techniques.
The 1999 Molecular Approaches to Neuroscience class: (back
row) Dr. Mary Haak-Frendscho (instructor), Brian Pike, Ed
Plowey, John Woollard, Chris Ahern; (third row) Joe Beatty, Anne
Ratashak, Valerie Schutzkus, Gaylen Edwards, Jeff Kramer; (kneeling, second row)
Changying Ling, Lynda Wright, Kristi Buxton, Steve Fredman, Fernando Cardozo-Pelaez, Rick
Salatino (instructor); (kneeling, front row) Laura Scott, Mary Behan,
Lih-Fen Lue, Amy Prevost (instructor).
One popular menu item: reverse transcriptase-PCR, or "RT-PCR." Students
isolated RNA from mouse and rat brain tissue using the SV Total RNA Isolation
System(a), and amplified specific messages for NGF and beta-Actin, not an
atypical technique in many neuroscience laboratories today. See the eNotes
applications article, "Measuring Gene
Expression in Mammalian Brain Tissue" for more information.
The instructors lectured on the salient points of the topic of the day, and then the
class proceeded to the benches in the teaching laboratories to actually perform and
troubleshoot the procedures for themselves.
From Hot-Plate to Industrial Range Cooking
Can a five-day course turn a neuroscientist into a "card-carrying" molecular
neuroscientist? Well, no. Or, "NO!," as some students made perfectly clear (see Q&A).
But the seeds of understanding certainly can be nurtured. Students picked up many of
the skills needed to design and perform experiments using molecular techniques---handling
RNA, accurately constructing a reaction mix and loading samples in delicate gels perched
in awkward electrophoresis equipment: Tools that allow the neuroscientists to open up many
new possibilities for dissecting their specific scientific questions.
See the section, Q&A, to see what the
students thought of the tightly integrated lecture/laboratory exercises.
This story continues with "The Main Course."
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