STRI Intern Blog Summer 2016: Butterflies, Sweat, & Beans

Hey y’all,

My name is David, and I hail from Ithaca, NY. I am a rising senior at Swarthmore College, which is just on the outskirts of Philadelphia, majoring in biology and minoring in history. My interests include stamp collecting and basketball but in terms of biology, I am interested in molecular ecology and using genomic and molecular techniques to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind broader fundamental environmental and ecological questions.

¡Bienvenidos a Panamá!

As a STRI intern this summer, I have been working with Owen McMillan and focusing on Heleconius butterflies, an excellent model system for answering research questions that encompass genetics, development, and behavior. More specifically, I am pinpointing the specific genes that control for certain wing pattern colorations by using CRISPR/Cas9 to create specific gene knockouts. I would tell you more about how CRISPR/Cas9 works, but it’s pretty complicated and would take forever, and honestly I don’t even completely understand all of the different biochemical mechanisms and interactions at play. Don’t tell Owen.

Butterflies gobbling up pollen

What I can tell you is that I work with the legendary CRISPR team, which is held together by Carolina, who thankfully speaks English, French, and Spanish fluently. The team also includes Oscar, an ever cheerful guy that loves construction and always hits you up with an “¿Hola, qué tal?” every morning; Colin, a dude that sprained his foot on a subway (still not sure how that works) and uses the lab truck as his personal vehicle; Clement (affectionately known as Clementine), who doesn’t share chocolate but has improving English; and Manu, a guy that relies on the food truck for daily nourishment and can’t really cook, but is being taught to do so by Clementine. Clearly, from the beginning, we were a responsible group destined for success.

It’s a great group to work with because everyone is serious about the research, but at the same time we are all laid-back and like to have fun with each other. Especially at Potting Party, which is always a blast where we scrub floors, weed plants, and sweat in close proximity to each other. Some days I go to Naos to do molecular work. Other days, I stay in Gamboa and play zookeeper, cleaning out caterpillar poop and feeding them to satisfy their voracious appetites. From time to time I also glue eggs to plates and then poke them with a long needle and squirt solutions into them. It’s a good time. The nice thing is that the zookeeping and the injections take place in air-conditioned rooms, but nevertheless I still end up sweating like a squeezed sponge.

5th instar caterpillar ready to pupate, other brethren in cups waiting to be fed in the background

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I first came to Panama other than the heat, but I have to say it’s been a fascinating experience. For example, being in a Spanish speaking country has forced me to sometimes navigate through uncomfortable situations where I have no idea what is going on and I have to mime things. I’ve eaten more beans in the past month than I have my entire life. I've grown accustomed to light beers. I harvest nearby mangoes, avocados, and coconuts. Time isn't really a serious rigid concept here; things are just early or late but it's just accepted and everyone gets along just fine.

Life is definitely different here and it has changed me, but I haven’t really had too much time to reflect on how yet. I’m just trying to enjoy it as it lasts. But most of all, the people have been great and a lot of fun to meet. Shout out to the roommates Michael, Nick, & Lewis, aka "The Poor Kids of the One Room in 253 Without AC).

Michael - formerly known as Tarzan. Gives good haircuts. Enjoys frozen grapes as a snack.

Nick - want to know something about a plant? He'll tell you along with 10x more than you ever wanted to hear. Lover of walks and apples. Perfect date? - probably taking a tour through an apple orchard.

Lewis - Stoic. Impermeable to heat/sweat. Mechanic. Swimming Beginner. Dumpster Diver Connoisseur. Massive consumer of grains.

Although the research has obviously been the focus, this REU has also allowed for the opportunity to travel around and explore, whether it's to roof top bars in Casco Viejo, weekends on Taboga, or a hike up Volcán Báru (coming up this weekend)!