Phase variation

Second semester gone. Results are out. Hmm... even holydays finished... Time is flying but simultanously waiting is so long... Last week I took the exam about teaching piano and now have to wait 8 weeks for results. Seems so long...
I am really happy I got the Intership from my University to work in the research project. I also got the project I wanted (and now I also know that at lest two other people wanted it as well - feeling a bit like a winner ;) ). Now 4 weeks gone and 4 weeks left... and I find it very facinating and really difficult. But probably I just have to work harder...
The project is about finding phase variable genes in the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoea. Proess of phase variation is very interesting. It is switching ON and OFF or altering expression of genes by spontanous, reversible mutation. Bacteria use it to generate many different phenotypes among the population while majority of population express the same phenotype. Phase variable genes usually code for structures which make bacteria virulent and help them escape immune system reaction eg. pili, fimbriae, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis, capsules.
The woth is also interesting so far: extraction of DNA, cutting it by sonication, electrophoresis and bioanalysis to find out about fragment lenghts, and sequencing probably next week. But the difficulty lies in analysing the data... Fortunatelly I have a supervisor :)