Precious Conteh's Practicum Reflection Essay

My practicum site was the biology department at Marquette University under Dr. Tony Gamble through a research experience for undergraduates (REU). The lab specializes in reptilian evolutionary genetics and they have done various projects regarding the origin of sex chromosomes and species diversification. You can read more on their specific projects here: geckoevolution.org/research.html. They are also part of a collective grant called the Integration Initiative: Sex, Aging, Genomics, & Evolution or IISAGE, which is a group of researchers that investigate different aspects of sex and aging. You can find more information on them at this website: www.iisage.org/.

I found my site supervisor through the ecology and evolution canva page, which I joined by emailing Dr. Leo Shapiro, but I was actively looking for summer research opportunities throughout the winter and spring semester. I looked at multiple websites such as www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp, which prioritizes individuals who may not have access to research at their campus for various reasons, and word of mouth. I recommend speaking with the career center and professors in the field you’re interested in to learn more about the opportunities out there. Other opportunities I considered/applied to include REU Behave at Johns Hopkins University (sites.krieger.jhu.edu/reu-social-behavior/apply/), the MiNDS Program here at UMD (sites.temple.edu/minds/), a lab technician position at an urban ecology lab at UMD which I also found through the ecology and evolution page, Conservation, Restoration, and Communication REU (sciences.ucf.edu/biology/reu/), and Sensory Ecology REU (www.uc-bio-reu.com/apply). Most of the places I applies to didn’t accept me, but I got lucky. I recommend casting a wide net and see what sticks.

The goal of my project was to further both the Gamble Lab and IISAGE’s research by verifying if the occelated velvet gecko had a ZZ/ZW sex system which is when females have differentiated sex chromosomes, like in XX/XY systems where the male has differentiated sex chromosomes. By confirming that they have an ZZ/ZW system, this will aid in determining the evolutionary history of sex chromosomes in geckos for the Gamble Lab and make it easier to study the relationship between sex genetics and aging in geckos. To do this I designed primers over female specific regions using geneious and visualized DNA replicated using those primers. Most of my project consisted of using a thermocycler to PCR DNA and conducting gel electrophoresis. I also joined a BioBlitz that the Gamble Lab participated in at a nearby park. People, mainly different organism-specific scientists, surveyed the park for their organism using iNaturalist.

Science-wise, I learned a lot about genetics, geckos, and pollinators, specifically sex determination systems. I read a lot about alternative sex determination systems while I was a part of this internship to wrap my head around the new concept. Additionally, from watching the daily operations of Gamble lab members I learned about gecko husbandry and pollinators. Lab technicians were very open about animal care processes and various gecko traits. Something cool I learned were some tactics to sex a gecko. Some males have hemipenes, which are bulges below their cloaca, and pore above their cloaca, while females have a flat clear area around their cloaca. As for pollinators, one of the grad students in the lab were working on a citizen science pollinator project for their dissertation and I helped her out occasionally. This entailed joining pollinator surveys and I learned how to ID different bees.

Personally, I learned about my love for field work and interacting with wildlife from this experience. I ultimately changed my major from Neurobiology to Biodiversity and Convservation Biology so that I could have more coursework involving animals and appeal more to wildlife positions. This clarifies why I was so drawn to Science and Global Change. Because of SGC I have a strong background in environmental science that I can apply moving forward in my academic career. I am going to get involved in research at UMD, but ‘m not exactly sure what I want to do past college. I know what I’ll be applying to, but it’s a wide net. As long as I can work outdoors sometimes and interact with wildlife I’m willing to take any job. After experiencing different jobs, I will evaluate whether or not I need a Master’s degree for my goals.