1st free write: So far, this class has really exceeded my expectations. I went into the class not really knowing what to expect and not knowing the subjects we would learn. Having been in the class for 5 weeks now, my favorite subjects have definitely been H. pylori infections, and the use of pro/pre/synbiotics to treat certain illnesses. H. pylori infections are interesting to me because my sister had trouble with ulcers a few years ago. Another thing that caught my attention about H. pylori was how the main scientists who discovered it actually consumed it in order to prove its pathogenicity and prove it was the major factor causing the actual ulcers. Before this class I had never heard of prebiotics or synbiotics, so its been interesting to learn about them over the last couple of weeks and how they can potentially be used to treat conditions.
2nd free write: The scientists consuming H. pylori is so interesting to me because it shows how much these people were dedicated to their work and to science in general. My entire school experience in a science classroom has always touched on how dangerous it is to consume food in a lab room let alone swallow a petri dish of bacteria. Its inspiring to read about scientist who feel so passionate and so confident in their work that they would be willing to put their health on the line in order to improve the health of so many people around the world. I would hope that as a scientist, I would someday be able to contribute to science like those who did before me, maybe not going as far as to consume my experiment, but enough to inspire young scientists like myself.
Going into next week when I’ll be coming up with a final essay topic, I want to try to focus on something that I feel passionate about. H. pylori could be a potential topic to write about, but I might look into other things we have touched on, such as environmental factors that cause changes in infant microbiota. This could be a more controversial topic to write about and have more talking points than H. pylori infections and gastric cancer. I will continue brainstorming on this as the week goes on so I can choose a topic that I feel is important as a scientist to learn about more in depth.
