Concerning Strengths and Cohort Contributions

Considering my contributions (voice) in our cohort, I'd like to first consider my strengths according to strengthfinder.com (1 to 5, 1 being the strongest):

1. Self-Assurance

2. Command

3. Analytical

4. Intellection

5. Arranger

Now my 5 weakest qualities according to the site (1 to 5, 1 being the weakest):

1. Positivity (Har har...)

2. Harmony

3. Context

4. Connectedness

5. Includer

So, now having seen the spread, you're probably wondering why I haven't attempted to overthrow Lynn, Maureen, and Kim for sole dictatorial control over the program. I assure you, it's on the way, but for now (admittedly more realistically) I'm still trying to find where I stand within the group. As I mentioned to Miki (the other power-hungry, cold controller of the group) earlier today at the seminar, it's odd being in a hierarchy-free sort of arrangement like we have. I feel like what's inevitably going to happen is I'm going to rely more heavily on my 4th strength - intellection - by focusing on intellectual discussion and introversion. It's at least the most civil direction to go in I feel. My contributions will be limited to my analysis of whatever interesting debates/discussions are going on individually, with little effort in the sense of cohort-wide direction.

That's probably all for now. 

My research

As per a conversation I had earlier with Tarah and Matt, I won't be posting my entire research proposal on here, but since this blog is for you fellow McNair scholars and since you've all seen me present my project anyway, I'll just briefly describe what I've been doing lately in lab for now.

Generally this week was slow in lab. My research involves a lot of tests that take hours or days to complete, so I spent most of my time setting up conditions for research after the Kentucky trip. I didn't get the full 20 hours in lab - again because there isn't much I can start and leave for a week - but considering my schedule, I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished.

Regarding the procedural side of things, since Monday I've grown a strain of yeast (SGY 102) which will be implanted with the specific plasmids from two bacterial strains (B181, B182) which I've extracted the DNA from and frozen for tomorrow's transformation.

Mostly what I've been doing this week is making myself anxious for the hardcore research I plan on doing upon our return from camp. I can't wait to have something more substantive to report to you all, including (dare I mention it) results!

To kill an error...

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To anyone that wanted a better look at S. cerevisiae, here are some of my favorite picture of the yeast.

My fellow McNair scholars

Rather than describe you all with a crayon color, song, or haiku, I'll just trust that you all know yourselves well enough to not need a summary and move on to talking about who I am and what I'm about - subjects you're all certain to be less familiar with.

To start simply, I'm Jayson. I hope you know that by now, but something you probably don't know is that it took me most of the semester to learn all of YOUR names. As the title of this blog has already stated, I drink coffee, read, occasionally research (although that occasionally is about to become a bit more confident given the start of SRI), and partake in a bunch of other human activities when I can. My research involves the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as you all know by now, and I'm specifically researching RNP formation in these guys when exposed to fermentation inhibitors (I'll probably post a link to my research proposal later). My mentor is Dr. Steve Gorsich, a great guy I look forward to getting to work with this summer.

I come from a city about an hour north of Detroit called Port Huron. As the name implies, Port Huron ("PoHo" as we Huronites aptly slander it) is rather amphibious running along a lake with rivers flowing through it and such, so that's what I'm used to. To be honest, I'm not liking being so far away from a lake this summer, but what Mt. Pleasant lacks in water, it makes up for in tortuous wind and painfully typical housing (that's all the criticism I have for the place, I swear).

Regarding our 2013 cohort, I struggle to find many criticisms of you guys, which is a rare thing for me. I thoroughly enjoy the time we spend together, and I look forward to watching all of you graduate with whatever sort of degree you find appropriate.