2/12/2017: First Week Experiences

Double post today! In this one, I'll be discussing what I did during my first week with AniCell. 

Before I start, let me explain something important about working with AniCell. It involves two very different, but equally important, tasks:

1) Working in a lab – this is where the final product is produced

2) Working on a ranch – this is where amnion (used to make the final product in the lab) from a pregnant mare is collected during the birth of a foal

Although the lab portion is expected of working with a biotechnology company, the second part might come as a surprise to many of you (it definitely did to me). However, because AniCell performs everything from collection to production by themselves, caring for the mare and taking the proper steps necessary for effective collection is just as crucial as engineering the final product. 

LIFE ON THE RANCH

I work on the ranch every Saturday. Last week, I got to interact with the pregnant mares for the first time and learned how to maintain their hygiene (this includes bathing the mares and cleaning their stables). Because proper care of these horses also involves environmental care, I got the opportunity to ride a tractor (it's really cool) around the ranch and spray weeds.

This Saturday, I actually got the chance to bathe one of the mares. This was something I'd never done before, and it was very different from simply cleaning out stables like I did last week. During a close encounter with Cheyenne, one of the mares, I learned that some horses don't like water. However, the most interesting part of the day was when I bucked hay for the first time in my life. This involved climbing up a stack of hay bales about 12 feet high and throwing down huge bales of hay to take back to the horses. It was a lot of hard work, and I scratched my arms on the hay (which is surprisingly sharp), but I have to admit, there's a certain appeal to chucking 60 pounds bales of hay from high up in the air onto the bed of a trailer. 

Strangely, my work at the ranch this week involved some science as well. Specifically, we had to test the mares' milk to determine how far the horses are from labor. Although one of the mares hasn't begun producing milk yet, Cheyenne gave us enough to perform a simple pH test. Using a pH strip, we determined that her milk was nowhere near 6.2 (indicative of labor within 24 hours), and recorded this on a data sheet. Although I only get to see it done on Saturday, this test must be done twice a day every day one week before the expected delivery date. If we had some more milk, we could have also performed a calcium test. Another important part of preparing for labor is to make careful observations of the horses' behavior. This week, no out of the ordinary behavior was observed for either horse. 

Working on the ranch has been an awesome experience so far, and I look forward to seeing what happens next week! I've included some pictures of the actual ranch, and will try to get some of the horses for my next post!

WORKING IN THE LAB

Last Monday was my first day in the AniCell lab. This week, the majority of my time in the lab was spent touring the building, learning about different lab equipment, and reading Standard Operating Procedures about working in the lab. I also got to see some of the finished products, and learned about the different types of treatments AniCell produces. I wish I had some pictures to share of the lab, but I wasn't able to get permission to do this yet, and will try again next week. 

Additionally, I helped package some products for shipping, and learned about the steps that need to be taken for shipping certain products (some involve packing dry ice with the product). Although most of my time last week was spent learning about the actual lab, I also spent a good amount of time talking with Dr. Barcelo, the head of the lab, and learning about the science behind stem cell therapy. Together, we explored some past studies on stem cells and learned about six important current and future applications of stem cells:

1) External

2) Ocular

3) Musculoskeletal

4) Cancer

5) Antibiotic

6) Systemic

Although we didn't go into too much detail, I learned about how stem cells can be used in these six areas. With help from Dr. Barcelo, I also found three articles specifically on how stem cells can be used to fight cancer, and read these, essentially starting the independent research portion of my project. In future posts, I will try to post pictures of wounds being treated with AniCell's products, and go into further detail regarding the results they've garnered. Additionally, as I learn more about the applications of stem cells, I'll make sure to talk about some of those aforementioned applications. 

I can hardly wait to go back to the lab this week and actually perform some procedures. So, keep an eye out for my next post, it's going to be a good one!