My summer at the dana-farber cancer institute

Weijia standing in front of the Harvard Medical School building

Weijia Gao

Hi everyone! I’m Weijia, a third year Biochemistry undergraduate at Teddy Hall.

This summer, I spent an incredible 10 weeks interning with the Puigserver Lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, USA. I am very grateful to OxWEST for granting me the Jo Ashbourne Scholarship to fund the experience.

The Puigserver Lab is committed to understanding fundamental questions regarding mitochondrial biology, bioenergetics and cellular metabolism, and how these can be applied in therapeutic contexts such as cancer, ageing and metabolic disease. Each lab member specialised on their own niche, ranging from respiratory adaptation to Type II diabetes.​

​My specific research project involved expressing and purifying a protein to assemble a transient mitochondrial transport complex, from which we could determine a cryo-EM structure. In biochemistry, structures of proteins provide lots of useful information about the function of that protein or its mechanism of action. We hoped that obtaining the cryo-EM structure of this mitochondrial transport complex would provide new insights into questions such as: how is this protein complex assembled, how does it maintain selectivity, and what mechanism does the complex use to transport its targets from the cytosol into the mitochondrion? I spent most of my time in the wet lab working on my project, performing techniques such as affinity purification and Western blotting. By the end of my internship, I had successfully cloned and expressed my protein of interest, obtained a high purity sample, and demonstrated its activity. 

​What stood out during my time in the Puigserver Lab was the unwavering support from the entire lab in fostering my growth and training as a scientist. Throughout my internship, I had the privilege of working alongside Dr Pedro Latorre-Muro, one of the post-doctoral researchers in the lab. He served as my main mentor, guiding me through protocols, overseeing my progress and serving as a main point of contact wherever I needed guidance. The other post-doctoral researchers and PhD students also generously shared their expertise, allowing me to gain hands-on experience in techniques beyond the immediate scope of my project. For example, I frequently joined the lab’s research technician in collecting experimental data and maintaining general upkeep of the lab. They even helped to enrol me in a radioactivity course provided by the institute! The collaborative spirit of the lab extended to our weekly lab meetings, where members rotated in presenting their work, exchanging insights and offering feedback. Additionally, weekly ‘Happy Hours’ hosted by the Cell Bio division provided a fantastic opportunity to meet members from other labs across Harvard over free food and drinks. Regular Trainee Pizza Talks, seminars and workshops further enriched my learning experience outside the lab.

​I thoroughly enjoyed spending my summer in Boston – there was so much to explore in the city itself, and with universities like Harvard and MIT right around the corner, there was no shortage of activities. I continue to cherish many of the memories and friendships made over the summer – in fact, one friend even visited me in Oxford this Hilary term. All in all, the blend of cutting-edge research, collaborative spirit, and the vibrant atmosphere of Boston made this internship an unforgettable chapter in my journey as a scientist. I am immensely grateful for the skills gained, lasting memories, and the overall enriching experience at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in research.

Weijia with the team at the institute