Oh, hey! We’re the Bean Lab!

 

Research in the Bean Lab is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking and protein sorting. These fundamental processes are essential in many different types of cells. Membrane trafficking and protein sorting underlie synaptic transmission, a process critical for all brain processes and that contributes to functions as basic as the development of neuronal architecture and learning/memory formation. These same processes are also responsible for sorting membrane proteins, enveloped virus (e.g., HIV and Ebola) budding, and some types of cancer, underscoring the essential nature of this process.

Happy Friyay!

Some of us will spend our weekend in the scorching hot sun.
Some of us will spend our weekend under the glow of the lab’s fluorescent lights.
And some of us will get caught in the culture room when the UV light turns on because the timer is 12 hours off and we will scream and run away.

But no matter where you may find yourself this weekend, go out and find your Inner Bean.

I mean, it’s only $1.49.

Dear Lab Notebook

Today, I split my U87 cells for the millionth time (yep, one million times!).

Until next time, Lab Notebook.
-Anonymous

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Kimiya and Ting are back as best friends again!!! They are even thinking about getting bracelets to celebrate their friendship. How exciting is that?!?!

Random quotes. They don’t know this is being posted.

Dear Lab Notebook,

Today, I split my U87 cells for the first time (thanks, Brittany!).

First, I washed each plate with 1xPBS so that all the old media would go away. Then, I added 1 mL of 0.05% Trypsin (+0.53 mM EDTA in HBSS w/o Calcium, Magnesium or Sodium Bicarbonate) and placed the plates into the incubator.

I walked back into lab, and Monica said, “Oh, are you finished splitting the cells?” and I said, “No, they’re just in trypsin right now.” Then Monica said, “Oh, but it’s only supposed to be in trypsin for a minute. I’m almost positive Brittany said one minute.”

So I went back into the culture room, fully expecting the cells to be attached to the plate. And they weren’t. They were all floating around, ready to be split into new plates. So I split them, 1:3.

Lesson of the day: Always listen to Monica, I guess.

Until next time, Lab Notebook.
-Natalie

 

Cake, balloons, and Hot Tamales. Oh, and congratulations!

The Bean Lab would like to extend a hearty congratulations to a very important person. Madeline Farley, a former member of our sister lab (the Waxham Lab, of course!), has successfully created a junior scientist! Congratulations on baby Reid!!!  According to Kimiya “reid” means poop in Farsi (but don’t tell Madeline).  Thanks, Kimiya.

Love, The Bean Lab.

Didn’t you know? Awards aren’t just for students!

Andrew Bean with his daughter Allison at the award reception in Austin, TX.

Hey, have you guys heard? Our very own Dr. Andrew Bean (for whom the Bean Lab is named after…in case you didn’t notice…no, you probably noticed) has been been recognized by The University of Texas System Board of Regents and has earned the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award.

Not only was he one of only ten UTHealth faculty members to win the coveted award, he was at the very top of the list! It had nothing to do with alphabetical order (okay, maybe a little)!

All kidding aside, we are incredibly proud of Andy! Every one of you must congratulate him the next time you see him!!!

Dust bunnies, doors, streamers, microcentrifuge tubes.

“Don’t expect to see a change if you don’t make one.”—Unknown

Well, we’re making one! In the past year, the Bean Lab has doubled in size but the lab space just hasn’t kept up with us (the nerve!). We’re stepping all over each other every day. Collisions have become commonplace! We can’t live like this anymore!!! So, we are in the process of removing the cold (warm) room in the front of our lab to make way for desk space.

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It’s a work in progress! Tune in next time for Episode 2: The Bean Lab vs. The Cold (warm) Room.

Answer: What are…things that you find under the -80C freezer?

Leave us a comment if you got that joke!

Graduate Student Personalities

Meet the graduate students of the Bean Lab.