Homework
Weekly homework submissions:
Week 1 HW: Principles and Practices
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects women at a 9:1 female/male ratio (McDonald et al., 2015), with higher prevalence in Latin American populations compared to European ancestry groups (Ugarte-Gil et al., 2023). In Ecuador, qualitative studies document significant barriers to SLE treatment and care for women in rural and Andean Indigenous communities, where cultural mismatches with Western medicine delay diagnosis and treatment (Miles, 2011; Bautista-Valarezo et al., 2021). Current immunosuppressive therapies require frequent clinical monitoring unavailable in these settings, leading to uncontrolled disease activity and organ damage.
Week 2 — DNA Read, Write, & Edit
Part 0: Basics of Gel Electrophoresis I reviewed this week’s lecture and recitation videos, which provide excellent foundational explanations of gel electrophoresis principles. Having hands-on experience running agarose gels in my research lab, I can confirm that all the technical considerations mentioned are crucial for successful results. One safety tip that particularly resonated with me was handling hot flasks after microwave use. In our lab, we always used heat-resistant gloves, yet we were still advised to minimize contact time with hot containers—a precaution I now understand is essential.
Python Script for Opentrons Artwork After making a copy of the collab doc into my drive, I searched for a reference image for my design. In the Designer Cells node there are two color options: red and green. So, I looked for a minimalistic design that could look good in green, my favorite color. I ended up choosing a hummingbird, as they come oftentimes to my garden to feed on the flowers’ nectar. At the Automation Art Interface, there is the function of submitting an online image directly coping its direction, and it is suggested that its backdrop is white. The following is the selected reference image that meets the previous criteria: