- July 21, 2023
Learn about Brindha's internship at NCBS!
This summer, Brindha Rathinasabapathi (Biology '24) is interning at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore, India!
Read the interview below with Brindha to learn more!
How do you get to work? How do you get around in general?
I live in a hostel on campus, so my commute to work is a quick 5-minute walk! The NCBS campus is a gorgeous mix of sleek, modern architecture and lush landscaping - I always enjoy the view. To get around Bangalore, I mainly use auto rickshaws. They're open-air, so I can take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city as we go. You can actually book autos on Uber, which makes it very convenient!
What is your work/internship like day-to-day?
I am currently interning in Dr. Raghu Padinjat's lab at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka. The goal of my project is to study neural development in Lowe Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. We model the disease using stem cells from affected patients. My day-to-day work consists of lots of reading and coding, since I'm using high-throughput sequencing analysis to understand why neural cells from patients are differentiating the way they are.
What is an aspect of your work that you're excited about?
This is the first time that I'm doing sequencing analysis, so it's been very exciting to learn this new skill! My outputs are informing the direction of new experiments in the lab, and soon I'll be doing wet lab work to confirm my findings - I can't wait to see what we discover.
Have you visited any new/exciting places?
I went to a weekend conference in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh last month. It was a G20 meeting focusing on Science in Culture & Society, so I got an interesting sneak peek into international science policy! We also toured Van Vihar National Park, the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum, and the Sanchi Stupa, all three of which showcased the beauty of India's nature, culture, and history. I especially enjoyed the detailed, colorful murals and street art in Bhopal.
Have you tried any new foods you enjoyed or seen anything new?
Since I grew up in a Tamil (South Indian) household, my favorite comfort food in the world is curd rice. Here, I eat most of my meals at the NCBS canteens, and they always have curd available! One particular canteen makes curd rice with pomegranate seeds in it, which elevates the dish to new heights. I also enjoy dosa, idlis, any kind of rice dish ... honestly, I don't know how I'll go back to not eating Indian food after this internship!
