June 30th – WNV and SLE Testing Protocol

 June 30th – WNV and SLE Testing Protocol

This week, I worked with our collaborators in Dr. Ivy Hurwitz’s lab at the University of New Mexico to learn the testing protocol for West Nile Virus (WNV) and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE). The process spans approximately three days and involves three main steps.

The first step involves processing mosquito samples collected from our traps. We grouped the mosquitoes into testing pools and lysed them to prepare for RNA extraction. In the second step, we extracted RNA from the pooled samples. Once the RNA was isolated, we proceeded with the third step: testing for WNV and SLE using a quantitative PCR (qPCR) protocol.

My time in Dr. Hurwitz’s lab was both educational and enjoyable. I appreciated the opportunity to meet the team and learn about their ongoing projects. In addition to WNV and SLE testing, the lab is also conducting research on pesticide resistance, an issue that has come up frequently during my time with RaHP Vec. After having witnessed the increasing volume of A. aegypti in our traps, It was fascinating to see the research side of addressing this important challenge. I'm looking forward to doing more lab work at UNM.