Busily Attached

I have no idea why or how I can be kept perpetually busy even after my examinations has ended. While I know I'm pretty notorious for not using MSN, it's preposterous that Windows XP is attesting to that fact.

For no reason, I miss the deep fried calamari Aglio Olio in Science canteen.

The few reasons why studying for Government and Politics of Singapore can be emotional...

Fine. I've digressed.

Anyway, I have finally completed two weeks of internship at Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, under the umbrella of A-Star.
During the one-day orientation, I met up with the fresh batch of 20 students under the Youth Research Programme. For some strange reason, there were only 2 guys (including me) and 2 from NTU. The gender and institution ratio was more balanced in the research labs though.

IBN is located in Nanos building at the still spanking new Biopolis.

This is the Level 6 labs which I'm working in. While it looks seemingly cluttered, I think the ones in NUS look disastrously messy in comparison.

For each drawer, there is a systematic labeling system.

Even if it is UNKNOWN.

My Permanent Workplace: (Biohazard!) Cell Culture Room

*cues in eerie music*

Serious, I actually find it quite cosy (read: small).

I turned on the lights to take these photos. Usually, they're off when there are light sensitive experiments taking place.
Because my supervisor is hardly around, this hood is almost exclusively mine mine MINE!
Ha. Not only do I have a personal hood, I have one CO2 incubator all to myself!

Check out my name on it!

While I was initially whining (in the first week) that I was the only one not doing cell culture in a cell culture room, my other lab mate recently taught me how to subculture.

He described likened the cells as "Neopets". Always in need of a constant supply of food in the form of a cell culture medium. But unlike Neopets, they really do die when not fed.

These were my fresh baby Neopets!

Awww... Don't they look cute? I haven't decided on all their names yet since I suspect there are thousands of them.

Of course, cultivating these Neopets come at a heavy cost to the environment. Look at how many serological pipettes I've wasted in less than an hour... All in the name of sterility.
Of course, after some serious lab work, there must always be time for tea break at the pantry.

Ah. The pantry with a bird's eye view...

I could literally sit here for hours, musing about life.

At 3PM from Monday to Thursday, there would be this auntie who would make hot lemon tea.
A brilliant creation I say!

So far, I think this attachment has been surprisingly interesting and a real eye-opener in more ways than one. I even had the privilege of tio-ing the annual safety inspection check.

Anyway, during a meeting last week, my mentors and lab mates were discussing about hPT cells. The conversation went something like that:

Shah: After over a week, Kang Wen found out that the cells had started to clump together. Jeremy suspect that it was starting to differentiate.

*everyone started to giggle*

Shah: He said maybe if you leave it long enough, it might actually start to form tubules.

*stifled giggles gave way to bursts of laughter*

You know what?
I'm kinda worried that my sense of humour is getting really skewed, barely half a month of internship.