About an hour south of the University of Arizona campus
by car and with a quick walk across the border you can
find yourself in a foreign country. Therefore,
when we think of travel abroad, Mexico doesn't always
seem to fit the description we originally have in mind. Many
college students look to Mexico as a place to party while
on spring break, rather than a culturally rich country
filled with amazingly warm and friendly people, and that's
a shame. Over this past summer I had the privilege
to travel to the Institute of Biotechnology, a branch
of the Autonomous National University of Mexico and work
in the laboratory of Dr. Jorge Nieto through BRAVO! Located
a little over one-thousand miles southeast of Tucson
the Institute is located in the quaint city of Cuernavaca nestled in the side of a volcanic mountain range in the
state of Morelos, Mexico. During my time in Cuernavaca
I learned how amazing our neighbor to the south truly
is.
When I found out that I was going to become an international
scientific collaborator, I didn't know exactly what
that would entail. I now understand that such a
position walks a fine line between being a scientist
and being the subject of an experiment. As a scientist
I embarked on a project concerning the role of a protein
chaperone that aids in the cellular response to stress. In
yeast, heat shock protein 104 (Hsp104) helps damaged
proteins regain their function. Additionally, Hsp104
has a role in regulating certain protein structures known
as amyloids. Amyloids are associated with certain human
conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 Diabetes,
as well as a host of other infectious protein diseases. Research
has been conducted showing the potential for Hsp104 to
regulate the formations of amyloids, and thus presenting
a novel way to combat serious human maladies. The
physical structure of Hsp104 gives it the unique ability
to refold its protein substrates, and my work involved
mutating one of the domains in this protein, a middle
coiled-coil region connecting two active sites, to see
how the overall protective function of Hsp104 was affected.
The other half of the BRAVO! experience consists of an
interesting psychological experiment in which the subject
is dropped into an environment that is both culturally
and linguistically different from home. Whether
I was traveling to any of the amazing archaeological
sites all over the country, making a trip to the downtown
zócalo to browse through hundreds of handmade
wares, or merely stepping out of the lab to go to lunch
with other students from the institute I did my best
to embrace my new surroundings and learn as much as I
could in the process. It doesn't take very long
for the excitement of traveling to a foreign country
to wear off, and the reality of living abroad for 12
weeks to hit you like a bus speeding across multiple
lanes at 80 km/hr. I don't know that it's possible
to fully prepare yourself for the thrill ride of such
an experience. Getting from one place to another
while never quite knowing if I was going in the exact
right direction seemed like an adventure at first, a
very scary adventure. The humid, rainy climate
and the plethora of different flora and fauna, which
accompany such an environment, only added to the exciting
uniqueness of my summer home. However, Cuernavaca
is home to the biggest bugs I have ever seen in my life. The
winding streets of Cuernavaca formed an intricate and
ornate maze filled with hidden wonders to be explored,
food to eat, and people to chat with. However,
I found myself quietly hoping that I wouldn't get lost,
get sick from the food, or be judged as an arrogant American
before I had even spoken two words.
The BRAVO! Program is an experience that will test your
character in every possible way, and that's the true
beauty behind it. On the one hand there is no comfort
zone, no security blanket. Essentially everything
I experienced in Mexico was something that was new and
different, something unforeseen. Removing the protective
layer that being at home provides really shows you how
much you can handle. On the other hand BRAVO! allows
you to step into a new reality in which you feel at home. Working
in a lab like that of Dr. Nieto was such an amazing experience. I
truly cannot thank the members of that lab enough for
putting up with my abundant supply of questions, my imperfect
Spanish, and for showing me such hospitality. I
also cannot express my gratitude to everyone involved
in the BRAVO! program, specifically Carol
Bender and
Christine Duddleston, as well
as my principal investigator at the UA, Dr.
Elizabeth Vierling, for providing this
amazing opportunity and helping me make a long time dream
into a reality. Funding for the BRAVO! program
was provided by the National Institutes of Health Grant
number: 5 T37 MD001427.
Located
a little over one-thousand miles southeast of Tucson
the Institute is located in the quaint city of Cuernavaca nestled in the side of a volcanic mountain range in the
state of Morelos, Mexico. During my time in Cuernavaca
I learned how amazing our neighbor to the south truly
is.
When I found out that I was going to become an international
scientific collaborator, I didn't know exactly what
that would entail. I now understand that such a
position walks a fine line between being a scientist
and being the subject of an experiment. As a scientist
I embarked on a project concerning the role of a protein
chaperone that aids in the cellular response to stress. In
yeast, heat shock protein 104 (Hsp104) helps damaged
proteins regain their function. Additionally, Hsp104
has a role in regulating certain protein structures known
as amyloids. Amyloids are associated with certain human
conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 Diabetes,
as well as a host of other infectious protein diseases. Research
has been conducted showing the potential for Hsp104 to
regulate the formations of amyloids, and thus presenting
a novel way to combat serious human maladies. The
physical structure of Hsp104 gives it the unique ability
to refold its protein substrates, and my work involved
mutating one of the domains in this protein, a middle
coiled-coil region connecting two active sites, to see
how the overall protective function of Hsp104 was affected.
The other half of the BRAVO! experience consists of an
interesting psychological experiment in which the subject
is dropped into an environment that is both culturally
and linguistically different from home. Whether
I was traveling to any of the amazing archaeological
sites all over the country, making a trip to the downtown
zócalo to browse through hundreds of handmade
wares, or merely stepping out of the lab to go to lunch
with other students from the institute I did my best
to embrace my new surroundings and learn as much as I
could in the process. It doesn't take very long
for the excitement of traveling to a foreign country
to wear off, and the reality of living abroad for 12
weeks to hit you like a bus speeding across multiple
lanes at 80 km/hr. I don't know that it's possible
to fully prepare yourself for the thrill ride of such
an experience. Getting from one place to another
while never quite knowing if I was going in the exact
right direction seemed like an adventure at first, a
very scary adventure. The humid, rainy climate
and the plethora of different flora and fauna, which
accompany such an environment, only added to the exciting
uniqueness of my summer home. However, Cuernavaca
is home to the biggest bugs I have ever seen in my life. 
The
winding streets of Cuernavaca formed an intricate and
ornate maze filled with hidden wonders to be explored,
food to eat, and people to chat with. However,
I found myself quietly hoping that I wouldn't get lost,
get sick from the food, or be judged as an arrogant American
before I had even spoken two words.
