Wilson Lab · UC Santa Barbara
Optoplates
“Can you make circuit boards?” Well, of course I could.
After returning to UCSB from Japan, I had an insatiable desire to get into a lab and continue working with my hands in the world of science.
I had been told by my PI in Japan that Max Wilson’s lab at UCSB was doing similar work to his, so naturally, his lab was my first and only real target. I emailed and followed up, talking about my experience in Japan and my work on Gaucho Racing, and received a response: “Can you make circuit boards?”
Well, of course I could. I had done things with my hands my entire life. This should be straightforward. (I had never seen a soldering iron in real life before.)
I told Max yes, and one lab meeting led to a pairing with a grad student (who also did not know how to solder). I had all the supplies in front of me and instructions for how these boards should be made. They were used to control cell fates using optogenetic tools that harness light to alter cell function in 96-well plates. But that doesn’t really matter here. I just needed to pump out these circuit boards so I could earn my stripes in this lab.