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I work on a protein called Reptin. I want to know what it does, what other proteins it works with in the cell.

We already know that lots of types of cancer have higher levels of Reptin than normal healthy cells. I want to try and work out why this is.

If I can work out Reptin’s job in the cell then we might be able to change what it is doing in cancer cells to turn them back into normal cells.

I make Reptin and other proteins to see if I can see them binding
I stain Reptin with brightly coloured fluorescent molecules to see where it is in the cell
I stain other proteins in the cell to see if I can them working with Reptin
I try and stop Reptin being in cells and I change what it does in the cell to see the changes it causes

9.00am Get into the lab and put the liquid called media that my cells grow in to heat in a waterbath

9.30am Make a list of the thing I want to get done and go and collect what I need

10.00am Start my experiments

10.30am Cup of tea :):):)

11.00am Continue my experiments

12.00pm Talk to my boss to see what he thinks about what I’m doing

12.30pm Go and check on my cells to see if they need to be changed into a new flask (what they grow in) or if they just need new media

1.00pm Have lunch myself and another cup of tea :):):)

1.30pm Keep on with my experiments

2.00pm See what my other lab mates are up to

2.30pm More experiments, maybe a trip to the microscope

4.00pm Hopefully get good results that I can take to my boss

5.00pm Home for dinner