Today, did not do any labwork except for the whole-day patient data key-in. Actually plan to organize the patient sample which is stored in the freezer room at Menara Timur there. The microbiology lab in Menara Timur there is currently under construction. New labs, new toilet, new reception counter, new computer room, new offices, new freezer, new cabinet and a lot of new stuffs... Is it UM now is very rich? perhaps UM is always rich not only now! Not only this microbiology lab is renovated, but then i also can notice a lot of constructions were carried out in the UM area at the same time : carpark near IPS, 12th collage carpark, the road go to KL gate,science faculty canteen area, the land near Faculty of Alam Bina, the land near GYM 1, area near DTC etc...This is the big construction that i can notice and in the progression. I'm not sure whether there still got other big/small construction is on-going which i can't notice. Plus UM is really big, and i didn't go round the whole UM, perhaps there also got some constructions in the other side of the UM...who knows!!
Back to the freezer room, the temperature inside is 4ºC and there still got another freezer room after this 4ºC freezer room, which is -20ºC. My research sample is actually stored in this -20ºC freezer room. However, there got accumulation of ice which blocks us from open the -20ºC freezer room door. I think nobody has enter this freezer room for quite a long time and my last visit to there is 3 months ago. And here the time for being the "ICE-BREAKER"...Haha, not me definitely but is my senior, break the ice by using the hammer...Its really super cold inside the freezer room and i really can't "tahan" it even though i had wear the thick jacket. Not until few minutes i go inside there then quickly i "run" out...and now i'm wondering how am I going to do all this sample organizing and collection alone next time in this "North Pole". I think i'm better learn how to become a polar bear..haha...tomorrow and rest of this week also will pay a visit to this FREEZER ROOM!!
Lunch time actually plan to go 6th college with my labmates. Out of sudden receive a call from my DR, "invite" us for a lunch!! So good MAN!! Rupa-rupa is the "Deeparaya" lunch for all the Department of Medical Microbiology, means that the post-Hari Raya and pre-Deepavali lunch celebration.This is the first time eat for free in this department, and i can save around RM7 for my lunch. Not bad the food also. My Dr. actually say want to belanja us to eat a good one but then until now...where is the GOOD MEAL???
Recently UM manage to "squeeze" itself in the top 200 universities in the world. UM is currently ranked 180 and is the best university in Malaysia. In fact, UM had done a lot strategies to increase its ranking. UM has recruit many foreign lecturer and also foreign students. But then, is it this increased ranking means that the better quality produced also? Look at yourself and think it twice.
This was my first seminar since i joined as RA 3 months ago in Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine. This seminar was held in PJ Hilton Hotel which was regarding a launching seminar of a Seeplex® Molecular Diagnostics "for multiple pathogen detection at once".
Seminar = listen for gaining knowlegde
The seminar started at around 9am with a welcome delivery short speech by our chairperson -Prof Ngeow from our department. After that, there had few session of talks by the related field expert. One of them is Dr. Dae-Hoon Lee who is the principle researcher, director of laboratory of Seegene Inc., Korea. In the seminar, I can meet with Dr. Tang (my LI supervisor's supervisor) coincidentally. I pass in front of him but i can't manage to see him, but then he called me and say hello first. Its really paiseh ar... Normally, when i attend any talk, sure i'll feel sleepy and "fishing", but then it is the first time i stayed awake all the time and listen to what the expert presenting ...its really unbelievable.
Seminar = eat for free
During the tea break time, it was a buffet style breakfast served with nasi lemak, chicken, "ikan bilis", peanut, spicy cuttlefish, and some bread. OMG, is it all the invited guests were too hungry? I can see some of them really take a lot, its really a lot. I agreed that me and my labmates were late to came out to take our food, but then won't the food almost finished so fast gua!! In fact, I also agreed that the prepared food was really not enough!! What to do? At the end, 4 pieces of chicken shared among three of us .. and I'm still manage to take a very small portion of nasi lemak with little ikan bilis + peanut. I missed the looked-like delicious bread. T..T
During the lunch time, the same situation occurred again even though it is also a buffet style lunch. That time when is our turn to take the food, its only leave a bit but then luckily the food was refilled. Not bad the food served in the hotel. After we took the food, then only we noticed that all the tables were almost fully occupied, maybe there had one empty seat in some tables. OMG, where should we sit? the organizer staffs had also tried help us to look for the three empty places. Surprisingly, we were suddenly directed to sit in the "reserved table". OMG, reserved table ler..what do u think of?? We had our lunch together (same table) with the director Dr. Dae-Hoon Lee and other high authority people-in-charge. Really paiseh. Its really a big contrast of position, just like a very low position worker and the CEO of a company. Luckily my senior is there and can "handle" the situation. Haha, i just sit quietly and enjoy my lunch. By the way, my lecturer sit in the same table (next to our table) with other Prof from other universities and we manage to hear that they had the scientific discussion even during the lunch time. Don't be surprise as this is normal when the researcher meet with researcher. Won't they talk about what fashion what marketing what sport gua..haha.
seminar = demostrate for invention.
There has a session where the newly machine was demonstrated how to use- LAB901 Screen Tape System. Normally, for the PCR, the result is analyzed based on gel electrophoresis. However, with this machine, the PCR result is analysed by the installed software while connecting to a PC without casting gel. Its really a time-saving by using this machine as the whole process is just like around 20 minutes from PCR until the result is out. Up to 15 samples can be carried out at the same time by using this machine. and, this machine can be used for multiplex PCR purpose. However, i think that this machine is limited for diagnostic used only as only the installed ready-program test can be carried out. Haha..an expert (Mr. Daniel? forget the name) demonstrated to us how to use the machine and how the result is being analysed. But then, after the PCR is done, the on-the-spot result is not really perfect and immediately, he open the-yesterday-perfect result and explain it. haha.. I think there not much people realizing that the result is yesterday (from the date of analysis which is not really obvious to notice). Actually myself also not realizing it and is my senior told me about that. Besides that, my senior also being called out as volunteer to demonstrate how to prepare the reagent mixture.
Seminar = Luck for sure
There also had a quiz session in this seminar, not in the end of the seminar but throughout the seminar. Meaning that in some of the talk, there have 2 questions each end of the talk, hence, u have to listen and concentrate on what the presenter is presenting, or else u will miss the answer. And i think that this is the purpose of having this quiz, so that the audience won't fall asleep during the talk. Totally there have 1o questions and 10 prizes. The winner is determined by the most correct answer. If there have more than 10 people score the highest mark, then the winner is determined by lucky draw among those with the highest mark. End of the seminar, its time for announcing the winner, expectably, there got a lot of people score full marks in the quiz. Its not surprise as all the guests there are very profession, either Professor, Doctor, lecturer, scientist, research assistant or related field expert. Plus, the questions are not that difficult actually, but i also gt 1 or 2 question "curi tengok" my labmates...Haha, this is called sharing!! Time for lucky draw...we are quite looking forward to get the lucky draw present, but then we not sure that our answer is whether all correct or not. From the last prize till the first three "big" prizes, our name still not appearing, maybe we are not lucky enough that day or we can't score full in the quiz. The other lab from UM too already have 3 winners. Waiting and out of sudden, my name was called out..Wow, i get the first three big prizes (all are same). Guess what I can get? A SANDWICH MAKER ... Haha, not bad. Next time i can have my bread toast. Its really lucky.
Seminar = get for souvenir
Its always have some souvenir whenever attending any seminar or conference. Hehe, there is the complementary gift from Seegene, a Korea company - a traditional dance fan. Its beautiful and i like it much also. Besides that, there is also pen, paper file and note book from ALL EIGHTS, the co-organizer of the seminar. And, pencil and letter paper from PJ Hilton Hotel. Together also some brochures and information flyers about the new technology machine and seminar-related stuffs.
The seminar ended around 5pm and we skipped the afternoon tea break. Its really a new experiences for me and I was exposured to the scientific world. Knowledge gained from the process of learning. And hope that i can survive in this advanced bio-world. SEEGENE, see the gene....
