Have you ever wondered if the effects of blindness could be reversed?

This summer I worked on a biomimetic device to restore vision to the blind. Yes, that was my project. The minute I realized what it was we were working on, I thought it was the coolest thing to be a part of. Not only was I able to see how research like this is done in a lab, or talk to the master mind behind this plan, but I was able to be apart of this amazing research project. So here is my project summed up into a few sentences. They are going to build an interface (which is kind of like a chip) that will be implanted behind the retina (back of the eye). It will basically mimic a biological channel in the eye that plays a key role in vision. The way vision will be restored to the blind is by using potassium ions that are already found in the fluid within the eye. Yup, that was the project I worked on for 8 weeks. Pretty cool, huh?

Comparing the first day I walked into the lab and now, I would say this was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The first day I was not only intimidated,  I was scared, but that faded away real fast. Everyone in my lab is super nice and my mentor is probably the most patient person I have met yet. He made my time here a lot easier because if I did not understand something he would clarify it for me, even if I made him explain it in 10 different ways, he didn’t show frustration. on a side note, one of the things I had to give up this summer to work in the lab was sandals, shorts, dresses, anything that made our legs vulnerable to spills was cut out of my wardrobe. I am a barefoot, sandals kind of girl so, yes, that was the hardest thing I had to do this summer! On the Brightside, I finally learned how to walk in sneakers. I learned a lot in my short 8 weeks here as an intern. The internship had us do these workshops, which may seem silly at first, but in reality they helped out a lot. Also, the presentation we had to give is a lot of work, but I improved in my presentation skills dramatically so it was worth every ounce of stress. Now I know how to give a scientific presentation, and take something complicated, my project, and make is as simple as possible so people who know nothing about the science aspect can understand it. This internship helps shape you in different ways. Not only are you here doing research, but you are also doing other things on the side. The other good thing about this internship is I got to live on campus and that was AWESOME! All the interns were a blast too. I definitely have many memories with them. This was definitely one of the best summers I have had so far.