Alina Moreno - Post 4

 Hi everyone! A few weeks ago, I went to SLCMAD and learned how to conduct virus testing in mosquitoes. They test for West Nile Virus and Saint Louis encephalitis using a qPCR method called TaqMan, which only measures the amplification of a specific sequence.

Here's a picture of me learning how to use their very fancy multichannel micropipettes: 

They also have an automated purification system to conduct the DNA extractions:

They use 2 separate hoods to avoid contamination:

 We only tested a few samples and none of them were positive for either virus. It was a very interesting experience and I got to use some equipment for the first time.