Real Life Research

Last week was my first week working in Professor Collier's lab at the Thayer Engineering School. The lab is one of the largest implant retrieval labs in the country, implants being hip and knee implants. I'm still learning about everything so I'm not sure how great I can explain it but right now there are three grad students in there working on their theses due in June. Basically the general idea is that everyone is researching certain properties of UHMWPE which is the polyethylene that is the part of the implant that acts as your cartilage. There are many different projects going on right now but basically researching the properties of this polyethylene will help figure out how to better prepare it to be put in the body and therefore last longer. Sometimes the polyethylene will oxidize and pieces will break off causing inflammation and the patient to have to come back into the doctor and revise the implant.

So far this is my understanding of what is going on and right now I am just weighing samples and taking scans with a high tech microscope for the grad students to then use that data and analyze. I've also learned how to use the EPR machine in the chem lab which is a large magnet that creates a magnetic field that detects free radicals in the polyethylene samples.

The research engineer that is showing me around said her goal is to teach me how to use the machines and then hopefully later this term I can start a mini project of my own.

I'm working about 4 hours 3 times a week and getting paid as well which is a plus but the time in the lab is very beneficial not only to learn about the projects but also to just be in contact with people who have been through the Dartmouth program before and are now applying their knowledge to real life research.

This lab is in close contact with DePuy which is a major manufacturer of implant parts and the research that is done in this lab is used directly by this company and other implant manufacturers.

Even after a week the internship has inspired me a little bit to look at engineering in a different light. It's not just about memorizing the formulas and numbers but with these tools you can then apply them to real life situations and hopefully benefit someone in the long run.

-Amber Bryant (Libertyville, IL) Sophomore, DS/Libero