Roberts Mentoring Plan

Week 1 (June 20)
Themes:  Orientation 
Goals 
Learn what others in the lab are working on 
Understand logistics 
Tasks
Attend lab meeting
Set-up lab notebook
Get on lab calendar and lab slack
Schedule safety sessions
Review Lab handbook, specifically onboarding.

Week 2
Themes: Design Experiment
Goals: Understand big picture of what research will look like
Tasks
Read select papers
Meet with Mentor to go over details
Write up research plan in notebook

Week 3
Theme: Start experiment
Goals: Get mussels in experimental system
Tasks
Aquire mussels
Set up mussels in system
Read about sample collection
Write up sample collection plan in notebook.

Week 4 
Theme: Environmental stressor
Goal: Expose mussel to stressors
Tasks
Expose mussels to conditions determined in Week 2 
Sample mussels after 24 hours.

Week 5
Theme: Sampling
Goal: Complete sampling
Tasks
Sample mussels
Start RNA extraction
Plan out cDNA synthesis protocol

Week 6
Theme: Sample Processing 
Goal: Prep for qPCR
Tasks
Finish RNA extractions
Perform cDNA synthesis
Plan out qPCR protocol

Week 7 
Theme: Gene Expression 
Goal: Run qPCR
Tasks
Run qPCR
Establish initial findings
Write Abstract

Week 8 (Abstract DUE)
Theme: Final Stretch
Goal: Developing final products
Tasks:
Finish up any final analysis
Start Poster 
Read relevant papers with similar efforts

Week 9 (Poster Presentation)
Theme: Presenting
Goal: Have clear picture of meaning of results
Tasks:
Give practice presentation