The bottles and jars are neatly stacked on shelves around the laboratory, and the work is carried out quietly and efficiently. In addition to the computer, one of the key pieces of support equipment is the “recipe box,” which holds the most frequently used protocols, and which the technicians consult on a regular basis. Ingredients are measured, combined, heated, or autoclaved, according to protocol, then poured off into vials or Petri dishes and delivered to the requesters.
This is the work of the NCI-Frederick Media Laboratory. Little known outside the laboratories that regularly use its services, the Media Laboratory is vital to the science here because it provides the required nourishment for the organisms that are used in the research. Just as important, it enables investigators to spend more time on their science, according to Dwight Nissley, Ph.D, Principal Scientist and Scientific Program Manager, Basic Research Program, who oversees the Media Laboratory. “I remember spending many hours a day making media [in graduate school],” he recently commented. “When I came here it was like being in a candy store. This is a tremendous resource that frees you to do your science.”
Established More Than 20 Years Ago The Media Laboratory was the brainchild of Jeffrey Strathern, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Center for Cancer Research and Chief of the Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory (GRCBL). Shortly after he joined NCI-Frederick more than 20 years ago, Dr. Strathern realized that his more than 100 protocols for producing media were overwhelming the staff who were charged with the task. Dr. Strathern immediately hired two technicians who would be dedicated to producing media for the three sections then comprising the GRCBL, and the NCI-Frederick Media Laboratory was born.
Today the Media Laboratory has grown into a core service of the Basic Research Program, with three technicians supporting more than 200 scientists in more than 40 laboratories across the NCI-Frederick campus. Sukanya (Suki) Sathyanarayana, Lauren Mora-Smith, and Smruti Patel can prepare as much as 100 liters (26 gallons) of reagents and growth media in a day—everything from sterile water, buffers, and reagents for biochemistry to media for growing yeast cells and fly food for growing Drosophila. In a year they'll use more than 300 standard and custom protocols to prepare up to 15,000 liters of media—enough to fill a small swimming pool—for multiple model organisms and reagents for biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetic research.
Getting It Right Is Critical With the complexity of the research and changing protocols, getting the formulations correct is critical to the integrity of the experiments. “We standardize as much as possible,” explained Ms. Sathyanarayana. The Media Laboratory technicians personally collaborate with investigators who want to adjust an existing protocol or develop a new one. Nutrients for microorganisms must be prepared according to precise specifications. Components such as amino acids, glucose, salts, antibiotics, and other chemical compounds are added to the medium in exact amounts and combinations. “We do it right the first time,” noted Ms. Sathyanarayana. The finished products are poured into vials, Petri dishes, or bottles, ready to be delivered the next morning.
On-site media and reagent preparation is cost-effective and represents a valuable resource for a research facility such as NCI-Frederick. If questions arise, the staff are readily available to review the protocols with the investigators. And, because the Media Laboratory is not a for-profit operation, the cost is more reasonable than the cost of using commercial facilities.
Computerizing Functions Increased Efficiency A few years ago, Ms. Sathyanarayana and Ms. Mora-Smith developed an electronic database for organizing the hundreds of protocols they use. The database enables the technicians to show investigators how various media are made, so that the investigators may make adjustments according to the type of study they are conducting. Ms. Sathyanarayana and Ms. Mora-Smith also developed a Web-based ordering system, to enable investigators to order their media on-line. This automated system has improved the accuracy of the orders because requesters must fill out an order form specifying all the information needed to properly complete an order. It also has improved the Media Laboratory's inventory and accounting procedures, as well as providing explicit documentation on each order to eliminate the potential for confusion.
Great Colleagues and Great Friends What makes the NCI-Frederick Media Laboratory unique is its personnel. With their easy smiles and quiet competence, they add a personal touch not likely to be found in a commercial facility. Dr. Strathern notes that they are highly valued among the principal investigators and laboratory staff alike, demonstrating “outstanding dedication and attention to detail.” These qualities are obvious the moment you step into the laboratory. Teamwork is critical for the three technicians, and their work style shows it. They work together seamlessly, with one finishing what another begins, in a smooth, almost imperceptible, hand-off. “We are a good team,” says Ms. Mora-Smith. Ms. Sathyanarayana echoes the sentiment. “We are a team. Whatever needs to be done we do. We are great colleagues and great friends.”
What is really striking, however, is the pride the women take in their work. When asked what is the most important work the laboratory does, Ms. Sathyanarayana answered without missing a beat and with Ms. Mora-Smith and Ms. Patel nodding in agreement: “We are helping scientists. I am always hoping they will find a cure for so many diseases. I feel proud to be here.”
Nancy Parrish
Writer, Editor
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Maritta Grau
Editor
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Photography Department
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Jillian DeShazer
Web Graphics and Development
Computer & Statistical Services
Data Management Services, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
The bottles and jars are neatly stacked on shelves around the laboratory, and the work is carried out quietly and efficiently. In addition to the computer, one of the key pieces of support equipment is the “recipe box,” which holds the most frequently used protocols, and which the technicians consult on a regular basis. Ingredients are measured, combined, heated, or autoclaved, according to protocol, then poured off into vials or Petri dishes and delivered to the requesters.
