During my six-week internship at Cove Environmental, supported through an SOT Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology (GIFT) Award, my primary responsibility was to develop and optimize a new in vitro model by performing primary extractions of rainbow trout gill cells. The project, which is a critical step toward creating a predictive bioassay for waterborne contaminants, involved refining cell culture methods to ensure reproducibility and physiological relevance. My central objective for this internship was to gain a practical and comprehensive understanding of environmental toxicology through the development of a cutting-edge in vitro model. I focused on the challenging process of primary cell extraction and culture, which was a unique perspective of cell culture to which I had not been exposed previously. We focused on developing a reliable cell model for exposure-based bioassays, with the goal of elucidating the specific cellular effects and reducing the reliance on live animals, in line with the 3Rs principles.
This experience provided me with profound hands-on toxicological experience, with a central focus on developing the cell culture model and associated analytical techniques. This highly technical skill set in primary cell isolation and optimization is a significant expansion of my previous experience. The dual exposure to comparative in vitro and in vivo models provided a unique opportunity to understand the strengths and limitations of each approach.
Beyond this primary focus, my experience was highly multidisciplinary overall. During my time, I was able to contribute to a broader range of projects, including the design and execution of acute in vivo bioassays, participation in field soil sampling, and exposure to advanced analytical techniques, such as PFAS and microplastic testing analytics. Additionally, my experience in client interactions offered crucial insight into the business, communication, study design, and project management aspects associated with scientific consulting services.
I am happy to report that I will be continuing my relationship with Cove Environmental, focusing on cell culture bioassay research with the goal of producing a manuscript on the optimized protocol for the rainbow trout gill cell culture and translating this work to other targeted indicator species. This project will solidify my experience and aims to contribute a valuable resource to the field of toxicology.
In conclusion, I have found this internship experience to serve as rigorous preparation for a career in environmental toxicology and further academic pursuits. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to SOT and Cove Environmental for their support, which made these experiences possible.
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