Taking the next steps

This week in ISM I was able to go on my first mentor visit where I listen to a seminar my mentor had on her research. I was so excited that she invited me to come to this BioFrontiers seminar, as it allowed me to gain a better understanding of not only her research but also her finding. Although I had a good idea of her study since I asked a lot of questions about it during our research interview, listening to her seminar helped me comprehend her results. I had a lot of questions about what areas of mosquito biology she researches and how she hopes to use genetic alterations in mosquitos to avoid illnesses like malaria. She laid out a history of her study during her presentation, beginning with her first transgenic mosquito in 2011 and 2012 when she first found the piRNA pathway. After finishing her UNT lab, she joined the Macias lab, which is investigating the deep secrets of mosquito piRNA interaction with viruses. Additionally, next week I have to give a speech to my ISM on my original work and although I am nervous about it, I believe if I plan for it, I will have nothing to worry about. I need to remember to watch the time better during this speech as the time limit is something I struggle with last speech.