Mariana Pavon-Eternod Introduction The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) program aims to introduce US graduate students to scientific research and collaborations in East Asia and the Pacific. I was fortunate to be selected for this program for the summer of 2010, along with 215 other students from universities all over the US. In the context of EAPSI, I spent six weeks working in a laboratory at Peking University, Beijing, China. My hosts, Professor Chuan He and Professor Peng Chen, run a joint laboratory in the Chemical Biology Department at Peking University. Their research focuses on the development of protein probes for diverse cellular processes and a variety of biologically relevant compounds, a field very different from my own research in RNA biology. My goals during these six weeks were to experience a new research environment in a Chinese university, understand the ongoing research in my host laboratory, and carry out a small research project that would benefit both my host and home laboratories. Cultural Experience Overall, my time at Peking University has been a challenging yet rewarding experience. Adapting to new working conditions and a different approach to research was perhaps the most challenging aspect. At my home laboratory, we carry out research in a wasteful yet convenient manner: air conditioning and lights are always turned on, disposable sterile equipment is readily available, scientific supplies are rarely a limiting factor. In my host laboratory, economy and efficiency are emphasized: air conditioning and lights are on only when necessary, supplies are recycled rather than used once and discarded, security seems to be a major concern. I don’t believe these differences affect the quality of the research; they do, however, affect how the research is carried out. In addition to the working conditions, a major surprise for me was the approach to research and training in my host versus my home laboratories. At my home laboratory students will be given a project to carry through from beginning to end, yet students here are often responsible only for a small aspect of a project. While this encourages teamwork and collaboration, it discourages independent thought and learning new skills. In the US, great emphasis is placed on the "big picture" or the overarching question underlying the research. In my experience, this emphasis is missing in China. From conversations with my EAPSI fellows, I believe this is a general feature of university research in China versus the US. The cultural experience, both at Peking University and in Beijing, has been the most rewarding aspect of my stay. We hear many things about China; it was refreshing and exciting to experience this country first-hand. From conversations with my labmates and other students, I’ve learned that we are very much the same. We have the same guiding principles, the same life goals, and the same aspirations. The realities we live in, however, are very different and greatly influence the roles we play. After my time in China, I truly believe we can work together towards common goals in science and beyond. Project Description and Outcome As described in my EAPSI application, the original project focused on the identification of transfer RNA (tRNA) targets by chemical cross-linking. Transfer RNAs are small, non-coding RNAs best known for their role in protein synthesis. Recent evidence suggests that stress-induced tRNA fragments, like other non-coding RNAs, may play a role in regulating gene expression under a variety of stress conditions. The proposed research project aimed to develop a novel method for the identification of potential tRNA targets. This project was an excellent match between my expertise and that of my host laboratory, as it took advantage of novel photo-crosslinking agents synthesized in the He laboratory and applied them to an emerging question in tRNA biology: the biological role of stress-induced tRNA cleavage. Unfortunately, this original project was not feasible in Professor He’s and Professor Chen’s laboratory at Peking University. The proposed project was focused on RNA, while the laboratory’s current area of expertise is in protein work. Equipment central to the proposed work were not available in the laboratory. As a result, I had to significantly alter my research plans for the six-week period I would spend at Peking University. I decided to carry out two small projects that would either contribute to ongoing research in the He laboratory or further my thesis research: 1) Optimization of charged tRNA isolation from the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 2) Detection of tRNA modification by high-performance liquid chromatography. Project 1 was a success – the optimized protocol was communicated to the He laboratory, where studies of tRNA aminoacylation levels in virulent and avirulent strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are now ongoing. Unfortunately, a series of technical and equipment problems prevented me from completing Project 2 .
