What was your favorite part about doing the research project and why? My favorite part of this project was learning how to use AnVIL cloud it was interactive and easy to follow. It was a great learning experience to see how raw RNA-seq data turns into actual expression levels, which let us map out how genes behave in different parts of the Drosophila midgut
What is one specific skill in biology and/or research that you learned through this project? Give an example how you used this in your project. A major skill I picked up was navigating public databases like FlyBase and the Human Protein Atlas. I used them to track down specific genes, like the ones involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, to figure out how their expression changes across the anterior, middle, and posterior sections of the fly midgut.