This summer, senior Kristin Turner is working as a research and development intern at Athena Enzyme Systems (building in picture above). She reports, “Currently I am working on a cloning project with an enzyme called Chitinase. It is an early project and a lot still needs to be worked out in order to go further, but I enjoy being here every day. Being able to have hands-on research and lab experience will help me in the future, because I want to work in a lab as a career. I love being handed a problem and trying to solve it, but also having someone here I can lean on for help when needed. I feel like I have freedom here to be able to use my mind in the way I feel works best for me, and being able to see results in my work. So far, I have been able to use my knowledge in PCR amplification and running gels in order to get the starting information needed for my cloning project. Everything has been running smoothly and efficiently for the first couple of weeks of my internship.”