Summer Student Researchers Earn Their Just Rewards

At the Digestive Surgery Research Laboratory, we believe that teamwork is a critical ingredient of research. We encourage our junior and senior student researchers to enjoy the excitement of collaboration as they pursue their individual research projects related to the laboratory's ongoing genetic research into the cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and IBD-associated colorectal cancer.

Senior student researchers returning for their second year mentor their junior colleagues, who are learning how to extract, quantify and amplify DNA. Our senior students also conduct genotyping studies and perform literature searches—both of which are integral parts of the research process.

Some of the projects on which our summer student researchers are working include:

• DNA Extraction and Purification
• The Basics of DNA Quantification and Amplification
• Real-Time PCR and SNP Assays
• Genotyping SMAD2

Their just rewards? Suhal Mahid, MRCS, PhD, says, "I like to reward all of my hardworking students with an authorship on a scientific paper for participating in research with the Laboratory's team of investigators. Writing a manuscript is a team effort, and I expect everyone to work together."