And I'm saying "hi" from Chicago.
from this field of garlic chives, lavender, and echinacea to be exact.
with my constant companion, Mr. Agreeable himself.
While his 8 1/2 month pregnant momma is patch clamping cells in the lab, we've been enjoying the new 3 story contemporary art wing of the Art Institute. I belong here. Even their bathroom stalls are my style of vandalism. I like my vandals several ways and "kind" is one of them.
signed,i bought some potted plants from the farmers market because it is too weird to be anywhere without my own patch of garden.
4 comments:
this is my instant messaging conversation with TamTam when i asked her EXACTLY WHAT she's doing:
Tammy: okay so I plated cardiomyocytes onto coverslips and covered them with special bath solution
me: haha beautiful
Tammy: then I took a capilary tube and pulled it with heat, to make a fine time tiP
me: holy tam, you are tre cool
Tammy: and then I put special solution in that tip and then an electrode and connect it to tubes... very small ones and then I look through a microscope and using a 3D controller I put the glass tip onto the membrane of the cardiomyocyte all the while measuring the voltage or, current
me: holy hannah
Tammy: then, as I suction the tip onto the cell membrane,
me: i would be a nervous wreck
Tammy: I see that the resistance goes up
me: you are electrocuting cells!!!!
Tammy: and if I'm careful and lucky then I'll get a giga-ohm seal so very very little current is going through it but then I pull in a special way "Kissing them" and the membrane surrounded by the glass pipette should pop open, allowing me to measure the voltage changes IN the cell!
me: they're kissing?
Tammy: no, I"m kissing the cell
through tubes. I "kiss" (suck short, lightly) and the membrane pops open so then, I can add voltage or current and see how the cell responds to it like, at a low voltage, is the cell permeable to Ca? in that case, I have to adjust the cell solutions and the voltage stimulation parameters.
me: ok, thanks. have fun!
wow, i don't even understand that conversation. it's many degrees smarter than me.
and chicago! love that place...
what did oliver think of range creek?? I've been wanting to go there for some time . . .
oh, sorry, and chicago too (no really!). love the bathroom graffiti!
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