Blog Post One

 My first month working in the Saavedra lab as a part of the RaHP Vec Program has been filled with a lot of learning moments. I have had to learn how the insectary operates, how to identify mosquito species and sexes, and I have had to apply my coursework learning to lab procedures that are mostly new to me. My undergraduate coursework has prepared me well for the projects I am working on, but learning to apply this knowledge to real-world situations has been a new experience. Applications of everything from simple skills like dimensional analysis to molecular genetics, evolutionary modeling, and physiology have made my first month in the RaHP program not only interesting and exciting but also a good refresher on a lot of topics.

When I first started a month ago, I was unsure of how to operate in the lab and the insectary, spent a good number of evenings reviewing lesser-understood topics, and needed a lot of help with learning how to do things. Now, a month later, I can work efficiently and individually perform a variety of tasks with a full understanding of what I am doing, how I am doing it, and why.

An example of my new sense of agency in my role in the RaHP Vec program is the other day, when I performed a wide variety of tasks in the insectary, the lab, and the field. I performed DNA extraction on Aedes aegypti samples sent in from Portland, Oregon, and nano-dropped the DNA samples afterwards to check for quality, since the samples were sent in ethanol, which I was told was irregular. I blood-fed colonies we were keeping in the insectary and collected eggs from other bug dorms we had previously fed, and performed a bioassay selecting for Aedes aegypti that are resistant to the Pyrethroid 'Permethrin', and I hung traps in the field for local collections.

I look forward to the rest of the summer, as I feel that I now have a strong understanding of procedures and projects in the Saavedra lab and can dive even deeper into the details of projects we are working on.