A new technology that I am inspired by is the development of bioplastics and plastic recycling. While these are not yet perfect, developing new, more sustainable materials is a step in the right direction to combat climate change and global pollution. The majority, 92 to 94%, of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is comprised of plastic. With advances in the production of biodegradable packaging material and the processing of used plastic, these plastics could be processed into new and sustainable products. A big hurdle for the cleanup of the Garbage Patch is the fact that much of the debris is the same size as many marine animals. Simply using a net to scoop up the garbage will result in the inadvertent capture, and possibly death, of many marine animals. We need to find a way to either collect the waste plastic without the risk to wildlife or find a way to process it on-site. One exciting development is the discovery of an enzyme in the saliva of wax worms. This enzyme allows the wax worms to eat polyethylene. There are a few other insects that are being investigated for their potential to eat plastics. There is still a lot of room for improvement in the realm of bioplastics. These bioplastics are still made from polyethylene and face the same recycling issues that current plastics do. The benefit of bioplastic is the reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels. Another factor that contributes to plastic pollution is simply ignorance. Everyone knows that plastic should be recycled, but many people do not know how to separate their waste or what the requirements are to process the recycling, like removing labels and rinsing off food. A lot of the household plastic that is recycled by residents is not processable and thus ends up in the dump, or elsewhere in the environment. That is, if recycling services are even offered in their cities. But everyday advances are being made, new technologies are being developed, and the education of the population is being furthered. One day, hopefully in my lifetime, we will see a plastic revolution and we can make the world a cleaner and more sustainable place.

My future goal is to work in a research laboratory. I do not know what I want to research specifically yet but I am leaning towards prions and other misfolded proteins. I have been a medical assistant for the last 17 years and decided to change careers. I am pursuing an associate degree in biology with the intent to transfer to the University of Washington Medical School's Medical Laboratory Science program. I come from a large low-income family. After floating around in the foster care system for 4 years, my mother finally regained custody of all of her children and moved us in with my abuser's sister and her husband. As the eldest of several children by 5 years, I was responsible for caring for my younger siblings and the many household pets and chores. Due to the pressure of these responsibilities and lack of parental support I did not do very well in high school, not because I did not understand the material but because I did not have the time necessary to do the required homework. Immediately after my senior year of high school, I got married to escape my family situation. I simply traded one bad position for another. I was working at the local movie theater and had worked my way up from usher to projectionist, and was in discussion for further promotion when my then husband decided that we were going to California to visit his brother. What was supposed to be a 3-day road trip ended up as a 3-week nightmare when our car broke down and we were stuck. I lost my job before I was able to return home. About a year later I ended up pregnant. I knew I needed to get out of the relationship, but without any sort of skills or higher education, I knew I could not support myself and my child. I enrolled with Bryman and earned a diploma in Medical Assisting. I worked hard in the classes and did very well, which was surprising to me considering how badly I had done in high school. I was hired immediately out of my externship and escaped my abusive marriage. I have now reached the height of where that education could take me. One hardship that I know I will be facing is the financial burden of medical school. While I have managed to save a small amount, it will not be enough to live off of and support my family while going to school full time.

My favorite scientific discovery is prion disease and the misfolding of protein structures. The idea that a protein can simply fold incorrectly and then trigger other proteins to fold incorrectly is fascinating. Prions are not alive, yet they can still be contagious and cause severe neurodegenerative diseases like mad cow disease in cattle and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk. They are resistant to heat, cold, and disinfecting agents and can remain on a surface for many years. And the incubation period can be years, you could have a prion disease and not even know it. Prions can also happen spontaneously. Many non-contagious neurodegenerative diseases are caused by prions or other misfolded proteins, like MLS, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's. I would like to work in medical research to learn more about how these proteins misfold, trigger misfolding in other proteins, and discover new treatment options for those suffering from the neurodegenerative diseases that these proteins cause.