{"id":20723,"date":"2021-09-10T11:36:21","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T11:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=20723"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:23:15","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:23:15","slug":"surprised-by-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/surprised-by-science","title":{"rendered":"Surprised by science\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Akinrinade looking at a 3D reconstruction of sea urchin spines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Ayomikun Akinrinade was 8 years old, his mom sent him to an engineering summer camp. She thought it would be a great way to get her son involved in the community and to give herself a few kid-free hours in the day, too. What neither she nor Akinrinade could have expected was the impact it would have on his future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the camp activities involved building cars out of wooden blocks and attaching CO2 canisters to act as engines. From the moment Akinrinade saw his makeshift car take off, he was hooked. \u201cI remember asking the camp leader what job I should get if that\u2019s what I wanted to do when I grew up,\u201d he said. \u201cShe told me I should be a mechanical engineer so up until I was 18 and started college that was what I wanted to become.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until he realized what really motivates him is learning how to think like a scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spaceships & sea creatures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His first science class at the 56勛圖厙 in 2018 was Introduction to Biology. He remembers it so well that he even recalls the day and time of the class three years later. \u201cMondays and Wednesdays at 8:45 \u2014 I absolutely loved it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He especially loved the way the class challenged him to ask questions people don\u2019t yet have answers for and then finding innovative solutions. \u201cI went from wanting to understand how to build a spaceship to wanting to understand evolution in fish,\u201d he said. \u201cIt sounds very different, but the way of thinking is the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This realization launched his undergraduate research career. And in summer 2021, he was one of only 12 students selected to study at the 56勛圖厙\u2019s Friday Harbor Laboratories<\/a>, a marine science research facility in the San Juan Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faculty and researchers from 56勛圖厙 and around the world come to FHL to study oceanography, chemistry, biology, ecology and other marine disciplines. Akinrinade was part of the REU-Blinks Summer Internship Program<\/a>, which links undergraduate students with scientist-mentors as collaborators in marine science research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science & skills building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jeffrey Jensen, teaching professor in 56勛圖厙 Bothell\u2019s School of STEM, encouraged Akinrinade to take advantage of the opportunity to work with such distinguished scientists. \u201cMy students who make it to Friday Harbor describe it as life changing and the best summer of their life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Akinrinade
Akinrinade and his fellow researchers and faculty mentors at the intertidal zone at Cattle Point.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Akinrinade spent eight weeks on an outpost in the middle of the Salish Sea with other undergraduate students who share a similar passion for marine biology. His fellow researchers came to study at FHL from California, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York and South Dakota. Just as Jensen suspected, it was the best two months of Akinrinade\u2019s life. \u201cIt was such a supportive and incredible group of people that I got to learn alongside of,\u201d Akinrinade said. \u201cI had the most amazing time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spent the summer researching the biomechanics of sea urchin spines, wanting to learn how effective they are at puncturing skin. \u201cOtters are natural predators of sea urchins,\u201d he said, \u201cand I wanted to measure the amount of force it would take to break the skin in an otter\u2019s mouth \u2014 and how much energy it takes to dig further in after the initial puncture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his research, he looked at purple, pale and green sea urchins, all native to the Puget Sound. He compared how effective each urchin\u2019s spine was at breaking into gelatin, the substance he used to act in place of skin from a predator\u2019s mouth. He then obtained the data on the necessary force by using a material testing system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was great learning how to use the MTS,\u201d Akinrinade said. \u201cKnowing how to operate the machine widens the possibilities of research. It is such a valuable skill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprises & surgeons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Oral spine of a pale sea urchin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That, however, was just part of what Akinrinade did over the summer. He also looked at the morphology of the sea urchin\u2019s spine, in other words its size, shape and structure. \u201cThis was my favorite part of the research. I expected each spine to look the same, but they were different,\u201d he said. \u201cI love being surprised by science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The variation is found in the serrations. Some urchins have ridges and furrows while others do not. \u201cThis was odd because it was something I definitely thought would be consistent,\u201d Akinrinade said. \u201cI imagine the serrations could be used to make puncture easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also believes that these findings could have important benefits to the medical community. \u201cAll scientific discoveries that we have applications for started with basic science like this,\u201d he said. \u201cThis provides the groundwork for others to do more advanced research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Growth at tip of aboral spine of a pale sea urchin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Further analysis on the serrations of sea urchin spines could help develop more effective equipment, for example. \u201cIf surgeons need to make puncture easier, they could use different ridges and furrows on their needle,\u201d Akinrinade said. \u201cIt is amazing what one small discovery can lead to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies & support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Guiding him throughout the research process was Dr. Stephanie Crofts, assistant professor in the biology department at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. \u201cIt was really fun working with Ayomikun this summer and seeing him grow as a researcher,\u201d Crofts said. \u201cWhat stood out to me was his drive to learn as much as possible, tackling all sorts of cool tools and techniques.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Akinrinade closed out the summer by presenting his research to his cohort, family and friends, where he thanked 56勛圖厙 Bothell for making him the scientist he is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery faculty member I have met at the University has pushed me to become more than what I came in as,\u201d he said. \u201cMy professors have been so supportive and really looked out for me. They gave me the confidence to apply to graduate schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Akinrinade, a senior majoring in Health Studies and minoring in Biology, recently started applying to colleges to earn a doctorate in Biology. He then plans to become a professor, work in a fish and wildlife program in the Pacific Northwest or work as a museum curator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know exactly what the future holds,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I do know that I am excited for wherever it takes me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Health Studies student Ayomikun Akinrinade worked at a 56勛圖厙 research facility studying sea urchins. His research has the potential to change the design of medical instruments. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[202,200,214,204],"tags":[],"school":[420,421],"class_list":["post-20723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","category-profiles","category-research","category-students","school-school-of-nhs","school-school-of-stem"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSurprised by science\u00a0 - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/surprised-by-science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Surprised by science\u00a0 - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Health Studies student Ayomikun Akinrinade worked at a 56勛圖厙 research facility studying sea urchins. 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