Abhi Ajay
UMBC Faculty-led: Phage Hunters in Barcelona, Spain
Major: Biological Sciences
Pre-Departure
My name’s Abhi and I am a Senior at UMBC. I’m studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain through the SEA Phage Hunters Program. I had never considered studying abroad a real possibility until I learned about this opportunity. I hadn’t seen science-based study programs and could not justify the experience for a class that wouldn’t directly contribute to my major. I took Phage Hunters as my Genetics Lab (BIOL 302L) requirement last semester and it was extremely useful in learning a lot of fundamentals in general lab procedure. Some techniques I now feel confident in due to it are: gel electrophoresis, DNA isolation, agar plating, performing serial dilutions, and more. I am in part two of the course, which goes further into the analysis of bacteriophages we discovered in the Genetics Lab, we will be doing bioinformatics. I almost didn’t even sign up for study abroad. Initially, I disregarded the advertisements surrounding this opportunity because I was currently in the class but until I did research I did not know that this program offers the first and second continuum of the course. Through this, I’ll have the chance to experience a country I have been dying to see since Middle School Spanish class when we watched documentaries on the nuances between Jamon Serrano and Jamon Iberico.
After applying I learned of a unique chance to work on a mini-internship while abroad under a PhD student. I applied and was accepted for one of six internship slots. The internship I will be doing work for is with Mireia Rumbo. We will be doing work on Cxc114, the chemokine required for inner ear axon guidance, and the entry of lateral line axons to the hindbrain. Research will be performed using zebrafish largely due to their rapid developmental capabilities. One of my friends works in the Brewster Lab on campus which specializes in experiments using zebrafish as their model organism to view modalities of hypoxic environmental effects. I’m hoping to apply everything I have learned thus far from courses at UMBC but also personal work to the research to help contribute to future discoveries alongside my phage hunter work. Beyond course-based lab work, I have only experienced working in research labs under that of inorganic chemistry so gauging the needs and variants between the two fields should be interesting.
As of 8:51 pm when I finalise this, my flight to Barcelona is tomorrow. I just checked into the flight and I’m super excited. I recently found out a friend of mine signed up for this program too so we chose seats next to each other for the flight. We agreed to swap who gets the window seat since we have two flights there. My bags are all packed as you can see in the photo and now I spend my remaining time going over the airport plan for the 7th time with my mom. It took four attempts to get all my luggage to weigh and to adhere to TSA standards; I’m not willing to take any chances on my lotions getting dumped. I read that the weather in Spain during January has highs of 60°F to lows of 40°. It took a while to find a balance between practical outfits that I’d feel warm enough in since I am perpetually cold but also ones that would be fun to wear while experiencing a new country. I’m feeling a bit nervous but I think this will be a great experience, the likes of which I have never tried before. It feels surreal and I am incredibly grateful for this chance.
I have been sick with a cold since finals which has been annoying. The stress of finals and flu season teamed up to kick me down and it was winning. Thankfully I was able to be home after finals ended. I got a lot of my mom’s homecooked meals and was taken care of by her which was much needed. I have been nervous as to whether I will be feeling better in time for my travels and I am happy to report that I am. Due to that unforeseen and unfortunate setback, I have not had much time to identify specific locations to visit during my downtime. The main things I was able to narrow down pertained to shopping, museums, and restaurants. Restaurants are the main priority, however. I am hoping to visit flea markets like La Boqueria, try paella, and meet new people. I was excited to learn we would be studying on the coast. So close that our campus is called the Mar Campus, Mar means sea so we will quite literally be along the Mediterranean Sea while learning which is such a mindblowing idea. I only wish the weather would be warmer so I could swim in the ocean before class. See you in Barcelona!