Welcome!
Blow Fly Laboratory
In this particular laboratory the goal was to successfully extract DNA from a fly and utilize PCR in order to amplify the region that needs to be sequenced. Once the PCR amplified the DNA of interest which was the cox1 gene the sequence was then put into the BLAST database and the organism was able to be discovered. In this laboratory we utilized resources available both inside and outside of the lab. I learned how to better navigate the process of using the BLAST database which is an important skill when conducting any kind of research. I plan on doing research with Dr. Gentry for my capstone as well as doing independent research next year. I believe that adapting to new technologies and knowing how to properly use them will allow me to conduct better research and ultimately improve my knowledge.
Use of Gel Electrophoresis and BLAST in Blow Fly Laboratory Experiment
One of the skills I was able to practice further in this lab was gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments, RNA fragments and protein based on size and charge. Smaller fragments will move faster and further whereas larger fragments will move slower and not as far. A negatively charged particle will move faster because it is moving towards the positive plate to which it is attracted to.
​
​
​
​
​​
​
The second artifact is an image that was taken of the fly that the DNA was extracted from. It was important to be able to tell if the fly was a male or female in order for documentation and to avoid certain structures of each so there was not too much DNA extracted. Based on the positioning of the eyes we were able to determine whether or not the fly was male or female. In this case the fly was a female becuase the eyes were situated more laterally. A male fly on the other hand, would have eyes situated more medially.
​
​
​
​​
​​​
​
​
: Fly DNA sequence to be placed in BLAST
​
​
​
​
​​
​​​​​​​​
BLASTn results utilizing the DNA sequence from the blow fly. The BLASTn was able to focus in on the Cox1 gene and from there the DNA of the species that was found in the fly was able to be Identified. This particular fly had a large amount of fox squirrel DNA.
​
​
​​
​
​
​​​​
​
As a class we were able to determine the species that corresponded with the DNA found in the crop of the fly with the help of gel; eletrophoresis as well as the BLASTn program. The three areas that were involved in this research consisted of a urban, suburban and rural area All consisted of mainly cow and human DNA although there are some exceptions especially in the rural area because of increased biodiversity.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Reflection: What have I learned from this honors experience?
Communication :
I believe that ​in this honors class I have become a more efficient communicator. In many of our labs this semester there have been questions and slight changes that had been made in procedures. My lab partner and I were able to improve our communication with each other and with those around us in order to improve our understanding of the goal at hand. The blow fly lab was a perfect example of a lab that improved my communication. Myself and many of my labmates around me were confused when it came time to sequence our DNA and import those results into the BLASTn program. Unfortunately because our gel elecrophoresis failed we did not have any sequencing to go off of there so we had to use pre made sequences in which we inserted into the BLASTn program. Although some of the laboratory experiments we conducted did not go as planned or smoothly it allowed me to learn more about real science. In science things can go wrong and its almost a given that something will go wrong at some point. I think that the most important lesson I learned was how to communicate when I didn't understand something with my lab mates and also how to communicate in a lab report when an experiment did not go as planned.
​
Problem Solving:
​
As I touched on in the previous paragraph problems come up in science. I always had the idea in my mind that all of my results and lab reports had to be perfect. In every lab class I have been a part of including this one I felt as if we had failed if our results were off. There were times this semester where we did have errors that were caused by either my lab partner or myself. Although, there were times where we didn't make any mistakes and the experiment still was not successful. I was frustrated at first however i have learned to switch my mindset to think in a more productive way. I found myself asking the question "What went wrong? How can we fix it?". For example early on in the blow fly lab I had a fly that I completely dissected however it was a female and had many eggs which made it very difficult to find the crop where the DNA was. Although I had dissected an entire fly already, I decided it wasn't worth the risk of extracting something that wasnt the crop. I decided to problem solve and go get a second fly to dissect. This was more successful for me because this fly did not have any eggs and I could more clearly identify the crop which allowed me to ensure that the DNA extracted would be that of an unknown species and not the fly's DNA.
Reflection:
-Being able to be a part of this experiment allowed me to better understand important elements of how to properly conduct research. I learned skills and methods that I will continue to utilize in my undergraduate and post graduate career. However, being able to connect with my professors has had the most profound impact on me as a student. I have learned how to be more open with my communication and with my thought process.