- What was your favorite part of doing the research project, and why?
My favorite part of doing this research project was being able to see how gene expression changed across different regions of the Drosophila melanogaster midgut. I liked this part because it showed that genes such as Dys, Dg, Syn1, and Syn2 are not expressed the same way in every region, which suggests that different parts of the gut may have different structural or functional needs. It was interesting to connect patterns in the data to possible biological roles in tissue organization, stability, and function.
- What is one specific skill in biology and/or research that you learned through this project? Give an example of how you used this in your project.
One specific research skill I learned through this project was how to analyze RNA-seq expression data across tissues or anatomical regions. For example, I used RNA-seq data from the ANVIL platform and examined the expression of Dys, Dg, Syn1, and Syn2 across the different midgut regions. I then compared the counts between regions and used that information to make bar graphs and summarize expression patterns. This helped me understand how RNA-seq can be used to identify differential gene expression and interpret possible biological significance.