Team:Wellesley HCI/Notebook/KaraNotebook

The first foray into human-computer interaction! We started with a basic introduction to the concepts of HCI research and the lab's particular goals and projects. Also included were the subteams our labs were divided into - I ended up in the Information Workflow and eLab Notebook groups, but my team members were to arrive next week. Still, since it was just the inofmration-gathering phase at the moment, being able to communicate via email was more than enough.

But before I started with workflow and ELN research, Consuelo sat me down in front of Samsung surface and gave me a thick Surface-programming training manual to work on. It was my first contact with XML and C# - they reminded me a lot of HTML and CSS/JS, though, but that does make sense. It was an interesting experience to dissect the logic in the code I was instructed to write and see familiar patterns in it.

Once that was done (which was a shame), it was time to start researching the ELN. We had a number of preliminary readings to do, which covered the current state of commercial ELNs to new and dramatically different implementations of the technology. It was quite a large volume of information to process, but it's exciting to see that technology in labs is a lot closer to the futuristic equipment shown in the media than I'd previously thought.

04Jun 2012

Went to MS NERD for a workshop on Windows 8

• Introduced to Windows Metro and apps
• Demo for Windows 8 on the Slate tablet
  • How they utilized many different possibilities for touch, like the picture password and gestures from sides and corners having different functions
• Metro homepage provided a central hub for many different apps - like using FB or WordPress without being explicitly on, able to access just from the People app

  Apps also updated with live tiles, badges, and toast popups

  • • Something similar for the ELNs to streamline access to streams of information (machines, materials management, reminders, timers) and live updating through the cloud

    Also helps with communication and collaboration between scientists if could use cloud to do both in real time

  • Split-screen view: applications for collaboration? A large window for the shared presentation and a personal dock on the side, for bi-directional file exchange

  Visual Studio and Blend changes: most importantly, multiplatform support thanks to ability to write in HTML5 and JS

  • • Relevant to last year: people asked why they couldn't have the ELN on so-and-so mobile device; may help with interactions with the tabletop surfaces for presentations

05Jun 2012

MIT synthetic bio bootcamp (use the culture photo Kimberly sent you) Started the day with an intro to synthetic biology: how it merges biology and engineering, what tools and concepts both bring to the table to build cells/machines Concrete examples provided with examples of past iGem projects, including the 2006 MIT team's Eau d'Coli Interesting to see how they used abstraction to design their system, then delved into the physical parts (genes) and interesting to see a logic gate represented with DNA Second half was wetlab for appreciation for the difficulties encountered during labwork, and to see where paper notebooks are lacking Transformed E. coli K12 using E. chromi color plasmids Measured the effect of modulating expression (e.g. promoters and RBSs of varying binding affinity) Use of concepts (e.g. ß-galactosidase catalyzes splitting of ONPG into yellow product) to quantify efficiency of each system

06Jun 2012 Putting together preliminary presentation for Orit and Consuelo's feedback Building on our existing research and new directions to take: Troubleshooting phase of Build step/cycle as a target for software tools: research approaches and thought processes, how to support existing methods Look up paper of the DIYBio DIS'12 workshop Investigate existing software tools for each step of the information workflow, esp. previous iGem entries Focus less on current state of ELN technology and more on avenues of innovation for small academic labs (current market for regulated commercial labs staffed with professionals) Survey professors on campus as part of expert input step in gathering project requirements and specs (UCD)

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