Tracy Wang is a recent graduate of McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts and Science, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and also gaining a double minor in English Literature and Economics. She will be starting a Masters of Public Policy at the University of Toronto in the fall where she intends to focus on health policy.  She is passionate about using her writing to bridge the divide between arts and science and is currently working on several projects, including a short story collection.

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

As I gently load my sample into the transmission electron microscope, I am hoping that this will be the last time I ever have to use this frustrating machine. The vacuum hisses, signalling that the scope is ready to use, a fitting reminder of how soulless this room is. With the lights off, I am drowning in darkness until the scope recognises the sample and my monitors turn on. I used to love using the scope and the excitement of seeing subcellular components in such fine detail, but getting all the data to complete my thesis has been a taxing process. I just want it to be over.

I slip into scanning mode and look for a cell to image, but a voice interrupts my search.

“What’s that?”

I turn to see a stuffed toy penguin wearing a sombrero, pointing his flipper at my computer screen. “That, there, what is it?”

While I am reluctant to acknowledge the impossibility of a talking toy penguin, I decide that conversation might make my work less banal. “That’s a cell.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, cells are the basic unit of life. All living things are made of cells.” Continue reading →