Bend+Research-Jessica+Corrales

= **__Bend Research Reflection__** = = =

On March 4, 2011 I had the opportunity to go to the Bend Research Facility. It was a cool experience to see the inner workings of a lab. My mental picture of a lab was completely different. I was expecting a state of the art high tech, flashing buttons and lights, and a LOT more room. Although the layout of the lab was cool, I was expecting bigger, cooler, more hospital like I would say. It was nice to see it grow from humble beginnings to what was seen today.

Aside from the lab, I thought the people there were very nice and family like. It seems to me they focus a lot on building a good interpersonal connection between staff. I do not know many places that take breaks by playing Ultimate Frisbee, which was pretty unique. Also, just the way people interacted with one another was very respectful and family like. This would be a plus for working here. I am big on this type of atmosphere; however, small offices and cramped corners are the selling points for me not to pursue a job in lab work. I feel I am a little luxurious in terms of how and where I would like to work, hence my previously thought idea of a lab . It was very nice to see that such a small facility had access to such cool equipment, like the 1.2 million dollar microscope, or the NMR machines. I liked that I could now put an image to a machine that spits out the information we were learning to read on graphs. I have to say my favorite room was one that was shown at the beginning of the tour. I cannot remember what it was exactly used for but it had machines that were stirring the compounds in the solutions, I believe testing how they worked in different pH solutions. I thought the machines were really fun to look at. Another favorite, just for the pure factor it looked like a Willy Wonka’s invention room, was the lab that had many centrifuges and machines that shook and tipped mixtures all at the same time. There was so much going on and even though I didn’t know what was going on it was so cool to look at.

I did have one question that I thought of after we left, does someone live there at all times? It seems like it would be a place where someone should live there in case of emergencies or anything to that nature? I wouldn’t expect everyone to live there but perhaps one or a few.

Overall my experience at this lab was cool. I would really like to see the building that refines and actually produced the FDA approved products. I have always wanted to wear one of those full body space suits, it would be interesting.

Those funky machines that stir solutions are called "disso baths," or dissolution baths. They are acting like stomachs, which is really quite funny when you think of it.

Nobody actually lives at the facility but I have no doubt they have security on site all the time. It's pretty standard stuff when, as you suggest, there is a lot of expensive equipment around and there is a need for uninterrupted power. Labs also often have backup power generator systems like hospitals do, so if for some reason there is a power failure they can keep things cold, and keep storage areas ventilated, etc..

I've never been into their GMP facility, too, and have never been. I bet it's a whole different scene. Carol