Table 2. Student Short Answer Responses to question 3a.

(Question 3: Did you benefit intellectually from working with the DAVID tools and learning about the Gene Ontology System?) 3a: If yes, please explain how?.

Through this internship using DAVID, I was exposed for the first time to the field of bioinformatics and the gene ontology system. I learned more about the role genes play in neurological disorders in humans. I also got a glimpse of what biomedical researchers and neuroscientists actually do and the type of resources that they work with.

I learned about current methods used by researchers and was able to apply those techniques to my own project. The exposure and experience I gained with bioinformatics gave me a better understanding of gene interactions and how researchers analyze them. The tools I used during the internship furthered my understanding of gene profiling and provided me with insight on the importance of research.

Rather than just learning about genetics as I had in biology classes in the past, I had the opportunity to partake in hands-on learning with the DAVID tools. Through using DAVID and the Gene Ontology system, I gained a broader understanding of the biological functions of genes by seeing and being exposed to such a large variety. Being able to apply what I learned from DAVID and the results I gathered to my own independent project helped to further my understanding of genetics while exposing me to the field of bioinformatics.

I learned different ways genes are classified and analyzed (kegg pathway, etc.). I can use this database for future research projects to get a sense of different pathways these genes are involved in.

I learnt a lot about genomics and how interconnected the different genes in our body are. It also helped me work on my project on Alzheimer’s and the APOE 4 allele.

I was able to learn more about PTSD and identifying candidate genes for PTSD. I performed this project with DAVID and learned a lot about the Gene Ontology System.

The DAVID tools helped me cluster annotation terms based on keywords associated with neurological disorders. Also, the KEGG Pathway map allowed me to visualize genes and how they interact.

This was the first time that I worked with either of these tools and I think I benefited mostly because I got an idea of what working in the field of Biology/Neuroscience would be like.

I was able to learn more about the GO System, different databases such as the Allen Brain Atlas and StringDB, which I used in conjunction with DAVID and learned about how DAVID analyzes the data.

I found that working with the DAVID tools and Gene Ontology System I was exposed to a real world experience in science that gave me a better understanding of where we are in research now, and what is still to be done. The benefits I found in myself were a capital in scientific nomenclature, new skills in analysis of data, and a wholesome exposure into the field of genomics research.

I learned a lot about gene databases and how to look at specific sets of data while ignoring information that may be necessary.

I felt like working with the DAVID tools exposed me to an area of research that I wasn’t previously familiar with in an engaging and fascinating way. Learning how to find specific information about gene interactions/gene functions through an online database is a valuable tool that I believe will benefit me in my future research.