I was laboratory manager for Field Project International's field season in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest during two consecutive years. During 2018, our biggest season yet, I coordinated the logging, tagging, pre-processing and labelling of more than 2,000 samples collected from 581 primate, terrestrial mammal, bird and bat captures, as well as non-invasive fecal samples collected from all 9 species of primates present at the field station.
In 2018 I was offered the position of senior manager of the first field molecular laboratory in the Amazon Rainforest by Inkaterra Asociación and Field Projects International.
I took a break from by BSc studies in Mexico City and moved to the Inkaterra Guides Field Station in Southeastern Peru for several months. I spent my days processing samples and optimizing molecular protocols. I performed DNA extraction and quantification, PCR amplification, library preparation and DNA sequencing using the MinION portable sequencer for several research projects with many collaborators:
In 2018 I was offered the position of senior manager of the first field molecular laboratory in the Amazon Rainforest by Inkaterra Asociación and Field Projects International.
I took a break from by BSc studies in Mexico City and moved to the Inkaterra Guides Field Station in Southeastern Peru for several months. I spent my days processing samples and optimizing molecular protocols. I performed DNA extraction and quantification, PCR amplification, library preparation and DNA sequencing using the MinION portable sequencer for several research projects with many collaborators:
- Decoding the Amazon in situ with Portable Sequencers in collaboration with Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Pomerantz, A., Park, D. J., Cave, S., Schmitt, A., Rudin, D., Viñas-Martínez, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Linares-Rosales, L., Rodríguez-Bravo, O., Williams, S., Chen, J., McElroy, Dainko, D. and Prost, S. currently in preparation and soon to be published in PLOS One.
- Madre de Dios botanical DNA barcode reference library by Dr. Varun Swamey and in collaboration with Dr. Mrinalini Watsa, Dr. Gideon Erkenswick, Daxs Coayla and Mariana Paz Mendoza. We aim to publish these findings soon.
- Parasite and microbiome comparisons between captive and wild primates in collaboration with Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Pomerantz, A., Park, D. J., Cave, S., Schmitt, A., Rudin, D., Viñas-Martínez, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Chen, J., Khadpekar, Y., Pilfold, N.W., McElroy, M., Brack, J., Dainko, D. and Prost, S. We aim to publish these findings in PLOS One soon.
- In situ population genetics: A primer on Peruvian tamarins using ddRADSeq on a MinION sequencer by Watsa, M. and in collaboration with Erkenswick, G., Pomerantz, A., Chen, J., Khadpekar, Y., Pilfold, N.W., Viñas-Martínez, A., Rudin, D., McElroy, M., Schmitt, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Brack, J., Dainko, D., Park, D. J., Cave, S. and Prost, S. We aim to publish these findings in PLOS One soon.
- Wildlife Disease Ecology. Research led by Dr. Gideon Erkenswick and Dr. Mrinalini Watsa. I aided in the collection of non-invasive samples from free-ranging tamarins, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, saki monkeys, squirrel monkeys, titi monkeys and brown and blonde capuchins. I also carried out molecular disease screening on the terrestrial mammal, bird, bat and primate blood samples and meta-barcoding on some of the fecal samples.
- Implications of deforestation and the trade for biomedical research on the health status of Aotus nancymae at the Colombian-Peruvian Amazonian border in collaboration with Peralta-Aguilar, A. P., Maldonado, A., Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Inga-Díaz, G., Linares-Rosales, L. M. We hope to publish these findings soon.
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Population assessment and strategies for the conservation of Nancy Ma’s
nights monkey populations at the Colombian-Peruvian Amazon border in collaboration with Maldonado, A., Peralta-Aguilar, A., Soto-Calderón, I. D., Inga-Díaz, G., Moreno A., Watsa, M., Erkenswick, G., Sánchez, N., and Linares-Rosales, L. M. which will be published as Chapter 20 in: Owl Monkeys: Evolution, Behavioural Ecology and Conservation, a book edited by Dr. Eduardo Fernández-Duque and soon to be submitted to Springer.
In addition to the research activities I undertook in my time as senior manager of the laboratory, I also engaged in capacity building and science outreach activities. I organized molecular biology workshops for both field guides and visitors of the field station. See below for pictures of the workshops.
Genómica de campo en la selva Amazónica
Fui encargada de laboratorio para Field Projects International durante dos temporadas de campo consecutivas. En el 2018, nuestra mayor temporada, coordiné el registro, etiquetado y pre-procesado de más de 2,000 muestras colectada de 581 capturas de primates, mamíferos terrestres, murciélagos y aves, así como muestras fecales no-invasivas de las 9 especies de primates presentes en la estación biológica.
En el 2018 Inkaterra Asociación y Field Projects International me ofrecieron la posición de encargada principal del primer laboratorio molecular de campo en la selva Amazónica.
Me tomé dos trimestres de mi licenciatura en la Ciudad de México y me mudé a la Inkaterra Guides Field Station en el sureste de Perú. Pasé mis días procesando muestras y optimizando protocolos moleculares. Realicé extracciones y cuantificación de ADN, amplificación por PDR, preparación de bibliotecas de secuenciación y secuenciación de ADN usando el secuenciador portable MinION para varios projectos con muchos colaboradores:
- Decodificando la Amazonía in situ con secuenciadores portables en colaboración con Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Pomerantz, A., Park, D. J., Cave, S., Schmitt, A., Rudin, D., Viñas-Martínez, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Linares-Rosales, L. M., Rodríguez-Bravo, O., Williams, S., Chen, J., McElroy, Dainko, D. y Prost, S. actualmente en preparación, pronto será publicado en PLOS One.
- Biblioteca botánica de referencia de "barcode" en Madre de Dios del Dr. Varun Swamey y en colaboración con la Dra. Mrinalini Watsa, el Dr. Gideon Erkenswick, y los ingenieros forestales Daxs Coayla y Mariana Paz Mendoza. Esperamos publicar los resultados pronto.
- Comparaciones de parásitos y microbiomas entre primates en cautiverio y salvajes en colaboración con Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Pomerantz, A., Park, D. J., Cave, S., Schmitt, A., Rudin, D., Viñas-Martínez, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Chen, J., Khadpekar, Y., Pilfold, N.W., McElroy, M., Brack, J., Dainko, D. y Prost, S. Esperamos publicar los resultados en PLOS One pronto.
- Ecología de Enfermedades Silvestres. Investigación liderada por el Dr. Gideon Erkenswick y la Dr. Mrinalini Watsa. Ayudé en la colecta de muestras fecales no-invasivas de monos pichico, araña, aullador, saki, ardilla, titi y capuchino marrón y rubio. También llevé a campo pruebas moleculares de diversas enfermedades en muestras de sangre de primates, mamíferos terrestres, murciélagos y aves y "metabarcoding" de algunas de las muestras fecales.
- Genética in situ: Aproximación a pichicos peruanos usando ddRADSeq con un secuenciador MinION de Watsa, M. y en colaboración con Erkenswick, G., Pomerantz, A., Chen, J., Khadpekar, Y., Pilfold, N.W., Viñas-Martínez, A., Rudin, D., McElroy, M., Schmitt, A., Paz-Mendoza, M., Brack, J., Dainko, D., Park, D. J., Cave, S. y Prost, S. Esperamos publicar estos resultados en PLOS One pronto.
- Implicaciones de la deforestación y la trata para la investigación biomédica en el estado de salud de Aotus nancymae en la frontera Amazónica Colombia-Peru en colaboración con Peralta-Aguilar, A. P., Maldonado, A., Erkenswick, G., Watsa, M., Inga-Díaz, G., y Linares, L. M. Esperamos publicar estos resultados pronto.
- Evaluación poblacional y estrategias de conservación de las poblaciones del mono nocturno Nancy Ma en la frontera Amazónica Colombia-Peru en colaboración con Maldonado, A., Peralta-Aguilar, A., Soto-Calderón, I. D., Inga-Díaz, G., Moreno A., Watsa, M., Erkenswick, G., Sánchez, N., y Linares-Rosales, L. M. que será publicado como el Capítulo 20 en el libro Monos Nocturnos: Evolution, Ecología Conductual y Conservación, editado por el Dr. Eduardo Fernández-Duque para sumisión a Springer.
