Tatiana's Bio-Blog

How BioMINDS has helped to my future academic and/or professional goals, and which are these goals…

Tatiana Rodriguez — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:51:02 +0000

Biominds has helped me in the way that it shape me to be a better future professional. As with the help of this program I have been conducting research in a laboratory, I was able to present twice the results of the research and I have had many experiences that are very important for my future career that is pursue a PhD in Developmental Biology. This experience has helped me to be sure that what I want to do is a PhD and this is what I really love.

Progress of the research project! Achievements and obstacles that I had to deal with…

Tatiana Rodriguez — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:28:48 +0000

Recently the following species of birds examined were: “Rolita” (Columbina passerina), “Chango” (Quiscalus niger), “zumbador de pecho azul” (Eulampis holocericeus), “garza real” (Ardea alba) and the “pájaro bobo menor” (Coccyzus minor). It should be mentioned that besides the birds that we examined, we are also examining the following birds: the “reina mora” and a “chamorrito”, and we have specimens that are still unidentified.

Of the”Garza real” the specimen that was collected belongs to the Pterolichidae family, from the Ardeae Ardeacarus gender. This specimen is a cosmopolitan specie (means that in every heron found anywhere in the world we will find this specimen). This heron was recovered from the roadside and 92% of specimens collected from the feathers were nymphs.

From the “pájaro bobo menor” the specimen that was collected belongs to the Gabucinidae family from the Coraciacarus gender.

From the “chango” the specimen that was able to collect belongs to the Proctophyllodidae family, from Proctophyllodes gender.

The obstacles I’ve had this semester have been balance the time devoted to research and studies.

Abstract – PRISM 2011 Conference.

Tatiana Rodriguez — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:23:30 +0000

Feather Mites and Other Associates in Birds of Puerto Rico

Mites (Arachnida: Acari) are among the most abundant and diverse of terrestrial arthropods with an estimated 30,000 species described. Feather mites, a group of several mite families uniquely adapted to life on feathers, are among the most interesting and better known mites. Approximately 3,500 mite species have been described, a very small number considering the fact that birds are among the most attractive animals for biologists to study. Little is known about feather mite life cycles, ecology, reproduction and behavior. In Puerto Rico, where the bird fauna has been thoroughly studied and a considerable amount of work on bird biology and ecology has been achieved, only six published records of feather mites exist. We have examined specimens of Quiscalus niger, Coereba flaveola, Tyrannus dominicensis, Chlorostilbon maugeus, Spindalis portoricensis, and Tiaris bicolor, and collected and prepared slides of feather mites. We have identified four previously unreported mite families and four unreported mite genera from S. portoricensis and C. maugeus. Two mite genera previously reported were collected from T. dominicensis and Q. niger. While feather mites can live in the bird in the skin under the feathers (dermicoles), inside the feathers (siringicols) or in feathers (plumicoles), this preliminary work has been limited to plumicolous mites. Part of this research has been sponsored by BioMinds and PR-LSAMP Programs.

The most recent results in our research

Tatiana Rodriguez — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:38:28 +0000

The most important results so far obtained in the research project during this semester are:
We examined several birds for the collection of feather mites. Birds have been a White Heron- Ardea alba, a “Reina Mora”- Spindalis portoricensis and a “Chango”- Quiscalus niger. We don’t found any mites on the white heron. On Spindalis portoricencis and Quiscalus niger we have been removed a lot of specimens that where on the feathers from different parts of the body, so we have been identificating the bottles that have the specimens recollected by the side of the body that it has been removed. So far we have specimens in bootles, and much remains to be extracted. We have much work to do and we have not yet mounting slides. For now we are concentrating on the extraction of mites and then mount them, so we can classify them. I hope to have good results as soon as possible with new feather mite generas, so they can be recorded and post this results on this blog. To mount slides this time we will not use the oven, because the PVA medium is drying too much and we don’t want that our work get lost. Hoyers was an ideal medium for mounting slides and we could use the oven, but now is out of the market. So far this is what we’re doing; let’s see what we get after this.

Knowing about other research!

Tatiana Rodriguez — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:32:54 +0000

In this post I will talk about two researchers Giselle Martinez and Jean C. Cruz and about their research. Their research topics are very interesting, I like it so much!

Giselle Martinez is working with Dr. Elsie Pares Matos in Mayaguez. Her research topic is The expression and characterization of human SAA protein in eukaryotic cells. This protein is associated with several diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer. Their research major objective is to get the expression of the protein in human monocitic cell line, and then analyze its protein-protein interactions. Identifying these interactions they would know in which metabolic process SAA protein is involved. This protein it is expressed in lymphocites, neutrophiles and macrophages. Now she is doing some research about human SAA protein specifically with SAA 2 isomer. She also found that this protein in high concentrations can become part of the cholesterol and can alter its metabolism and the cholesterol transportation. This protein is also involved in some diseases like cancer and arthritis rheumatoid.

Studying proteins we could find the metabolic process and understand the function of the proteins in the immunological system that is the main objective of this research and it is very interesting and important for a biomedical approach.

Jean C. Cruz is form the Mayaguez Campus and he is working with Dr. Carlos Rios in the research area of Metagenomics. As he said Metagenomics “can be used to address the challenge of studying prokaryotes in the environment that are, as yet, uncultivable and which represent more than 99% of the organisms in some environment.” They extract the DNA from an environment, and clone this DNA into a cultivable host. Using that they would be able to express DNA from uncultivable E. coli, to find novel activities of importance. The main focus of this research is to detect the presence of urease activity in metagenomic libraries generated by direct DNA extraction method. They are collecting their experimental data for El Yunque Tropical Rain Forest and Guánica Dry Forest. This project is very interesting because it has a biomedical and bioenergy approach and it can be aplicated for so much things, it is wonderful.

What’s new in our research!: First entry

Tatiana Rodriguez — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:06:34 +0000

In this first entry for this semester, I will write about the advances that research has had all this time I have not posted anything and besides of that the goals we have assigned and have been reached to the end of this semester. This year I could not performed research activities during the summer due to the “Huelga” of the UPR. This is why it has not done much. Before classes began, we met to examine six beetles and see if they had mites, but don’t found anything. We are also papers and now I have to mention that I am not alone working on this research, because I have two laboratory partners who joined to work with this. So, now we can let’s go further. For now, we are being focus on working with these two birds: the Chamorro (Tiaris bicolor) and the Reina Mora (Espindalis portoricensis) which are specimens that have not yet examined and which we know they have mites. These will be removed from the birds and according to the area where the mite was found on the bird. As commonly, we proceed to prepare and mount the specimen on a slide and then proceed to the identification. We hope to collect many specimens of various species of birds and to carry out identification to genus. In relation to the work of the previous semester I can say that this semester will follow the same objectives of last semester and what we will do is continue our work, examining new specimens for the collection of feather mites. Use the same techniques, so far we are not going to use new techniques. In doing so, then I’ll post in the next blog entry. Very soon we will have new results, we have to much work and I hope that this semester will be very productive.

3 bio-blogs comments and what’s new in our research

Tatiana Rodriguez — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:50:05 +0000

As pointed out last semester we had to visit 3 blogs and write about them. Well, this time we have to do the same but with different people. It is interesting to read and learn about different people doing research and knowing a little of everything.
First Blog: Billy Santiago

The first person I went to visit was Billy Santiago, a student of microbiology at UPRH. His interests are in biology related to medicine. The topic of his research is Floral Characters that Attract hummingbirds to Native and Introduced Plants in Puerto Rico. What they are doing is analyzing flowers, native and introduced to Puerto Rico, to find and compare those characters that attract hummingbird’s flowers. His mentor is the professor Enrique Hernández Prieto. His laboratory work is analyzing the extracted nectar from the flowers. Finally his experience this semester was not so different from the previous semester they are collecting and analyzing flowers.
I loved this investigation topic because it is very interesting to know everything about the features that have flowers whether native or introduced on the island and how each of these features attract hummingbirds. I loved the approach of studying nectar, as the production of this and as the percentage of sugar that has an impact on attracting hummingbirds. Really interesting this research, I love it.

Second Blog: Nicole Del Valle

Nicole Del Valle is a Biology student at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. Her research interest is to observe the pathway of Neuropeptide-Y in C. elegans. They have proposed a pathway and using differents knockouts to prove their pathway. Specifically, she is working with the knockout for the neuropeptide-Y receptor 1. They have already run various SDS Pages and Western Blots and culturing more nematodes to do proteins extractions. She have learned the technique of cloning because her investigation is based on cloning DNA for the ground and analyzing their sequences to find out who they are.
Molecular Biology is an interesting branch of biology and more interesting working with a model organism; it would be extraordinary because you can learn more about this. I loved a lot of the techniques being used and how this relates to medicine and Molecular Biology. It is a very interesting and tedious investigation. Outstanding work!

Third Blog: Viviano Melendez

Viviana Melendez is currently working on a project related to the field of metagenomics. Her mentor is Dr. Carlos Rios at UPRM. I learn that metagenomics is the genomic analysis of entire communities of microbes, without having the need to isolate and culture individual microbial species. One of her project’s main goal, is to discover the microorganisms that live in the soils of two very different environments of Puerto Rico: “El Yunque” Rainforest and “El Bosque Seco de Guanica”, to make metagenomic libraries and find new genes, enzymes or proteins with Biotechnological and Biomedical applications.

I knew that you can analyze the genomes of microbes, but did not know he had a branch called metagenomics. When I heard the word metagenomic in Viviana’s blog I didn’t know what she is talking about, until I read the definition and I understood that it was. I love the biotechnology and biomedical approach of this reasearch.

About My Research

About my research I have learned the techniques I mentioned in an older post, as well as using dichotomous keys, which are used to identify the genres of mites found and finally the collection of specimens. I have also learned how to make a good scientific presentation, and present the results obtained so far in our work. One of the difficulties we have is that we do not have the necessary facilities in our laboratory and we find it a little difficult. The goals for the next semester would continue working to:
• Collecting and identifying the feather mites associated with the Puerto Rican avifauna
• Preparation of slide mounted specimens of mites to be deposited in recognized collections
• Preparation dichotomous keys and reference database for Puerto Rican mites
With regards to what has been done in the research we examined the following bird species:

Columbina passerina- rolita
Coereba flaveola- reinita
Quiscalus niger- chango
Margarops fuscatus- zorzal pardo
Tyrannus dominicensis- pitirre
Eulampis holocericeus- zumbador de pecho azul
Chlorostilbon maugeus- zumbadorcito

Only T. dominicensis, E. holoceriseus and C. maugeus yield feather mites. Five species have been identified, none has been reported in Puerto Rico or elsewhere.

Some pictures of Feather Mites founded inT. dominicensis, E. holoceriseus and C. maugeus (Pictures using Phase-Contrast Microscopy)

Techniques and Goals Achived in the Research

Tatiana Rodriguez — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:05:58 +0000

Techniques learned since I started the research are: how to use different types of microscopes, mounting slides and how a specimen is prepared before mounting. I have also learned how to use dichotomous keys, which we have available to identify the genres of mites found and finally the collection of specimens.
Using the scale of achievement I give it a 4, since we find specimens in a buzzer where there were many mites with different morphology, which indicates that new genres have to identify and be reported. So far we have been two already identified, but one that is giving us problems. As we are working with feather mites, which are very diverse and interesting, it is also “interesting” to classify them, as they are the most difficult to identify. We are already preparing for the presentation of research that was one of my goals and it’s why I give it a 4.
One of the difficulties we have had is that we don’t have the necessary facilities in our laboratory and we find it a little difficult, but always look for ways to resolve it and meet in the available time.

On this semester January-May 2010 working on: Feather Mites and Other Associates in Birds of Puerto Rico

Tatiana Rodriguez — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:05:23 +0000

For this semester we have many goals, but three of these are work hard on research with five genera of mites, so we need to collect dead animals to obtain the specimens. We focus so far to collect, identify and report them. Another major objective is to prepare myself for a presentation of the research, on March 13 at UPR of Mayaguez. I will do the poster that I will be presenting and learn how to do it because I never have done one. A final important objective is to learn more about literature and genres that have already been reported, which will help us identify new host, not only in these five with which we are currently working.
We already have a proper place to do research and I think this semester will be working harder to obtain great results at the end of the road. The main objectives that I mentioned before give continuity to the project because our goal is to report new specimens of mites and report them in science literature so people know we were doing. Mites have not been sufficiently studied and these are very important to the understanding of the flora, fauna, clinical aspects etc..The skills I would like to acquire for this semester is how to prepare a good poster, and make a good presentation because it will be my first time that I will present an investigation in front of many people. I want to learn more English (the language of Science) and concerning the research I want to work hard to try to recover the time lost during the last semester and take advantage of all the knowledge I have acquired.

Research Experience of this First Semester

Tatiana Rodriguez — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:23:23 +0000

During this first six months of research I have learned many practical techniques and some other important things in a research working. Among the things I have learned are how to manage my time properly, how to work in a research lab, team work, and reading scientific literature and how to interpret and apply knowledge acquired in the research. Also I learned much about acarology and the diversity that is found in some genre, all related to the identification of this, etc. At the beginning of this research project I felt a little lost and did not know virtually anything about it, but as time passed, now I can understand that is a learning process because as compared to I knew before about acarology know I can talk more comfortably about it and I can explain many phenomenon about this wonderful world of mites. This for me was not a barrier as such but if it was a process by which I had passes when I start working in the project and now I’m very proud of what I’m doing and especially what I learned. Barriers as such in the draft were days that the university stop because we can’t work in the research, but anyway when the academic recess ends we continue working and replacing the spare time. The goals of the project for next semester would be continuing working on the collection and identification of the mites. We hope to collect and identify genera that have not yet been recorded in Puerto Rico which is the objective of this research and place the slides in the Acarology Collection at UPRH. I hope that next semester is as productive as this or more.