Arrival!

We have arrived, and it has been quite an eventful few days in Quito thus far.  We actually landed late Sunday night, and it was an interesting experience--since the entire city is surrounded by mountains, it's a pretty difficult airport to land in, but our pilot seemed aware of this and our landing was smooth enough.  As expected, it was a bit chilly, though nothing like the New England winters (or even springs) that we are used to!  Since it was late, we went to our hotel, which is absolutely GORGEOUS, and pretty much went straight to bed, even though we were excited to be in a new place.

The next morning we woke up and were really able to see the beauty of Quito--it is surrounded on all sides by beautiful green mountains, some of which reach 5000 meters (more than 14,000 feet)! The city itself is in a valley, but still rests at a solid 10,000 ft (3000meters, to be exact).  Everywhere you go, you can see mountains...it's absolutely breathtaking.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to ride the teleferiQo, which is a cable car that takes you up to a small area in the mountains, near the summit of some to the south of the city.  The views from pretty much anywhere around here were AMAZING, and extremely humbling.  Never in my life have I been at such high altitudes, and the city looked so small and peaceful from up so high.  (see pictures above) However, the effects of the altitude were even higher up here--we werea little bit out of breath after walking up a very small incline.  There was a little tourist area at the top that offered photos, a small cafe, and an oxygen bar, all of which we decided to try out.  It turns out that you can choose flavors to scent the oxygen you're breathing in, but I couldn't smell any of them, even though Ben and Karol had no problem.  It was an interesting experience, to say the least.  Then we had some crazy souvenir photos taken and enjoyed some coca tea (supposedly to help with altitude adjustment) and headed back down. 

Next, we had a traditional Ecaudorian lunch: Fritadas!  Basically this meal consists of fried pork, a type of corn called Mote, and an assortment of plantains and potatoes and a cheese empanada.  Ben and I thought it was absolutely delicious, though I thought it was a bit heavy and wasn't especially hungry for the rest of the day.  Then we headed for the Centro Historico (Historic Center) of Quito, which to me looked very similar to many parts of Spain--all of which makes sense, since the Spanish Conquistadores founded Quito in the 16th century.  It was incredibly beautiful, and there were quite a few churches as well, all ornamented luxuriously with intricate gold details.  We then got to visit a cathedral a little further away, but it was totally worth it.  As my father has already pointed out, it bears a strange resemblance to Notre Dame in Paris, and was beautiful, especially with the stained glass windows in the afternoon sun.

After that, we rested at the hotel for a bit and then headed to la Ronda, a street in the Centro Historico known for its charm and for small cafes and restaurants.  We tasted Canelazo, a traditional Ecuadorian drink (delicious, by the way--tastes similar to a thicker version of hot apple cider) and then went to a restaurant called La Ronda, which is actually in another part of town.  Ben had another traditional Ecuadorian beef meal called churrasco, and I had pollo al vino blanco (chicken with white wine sauce).  Both were very good, but I wasn't very hungry, as we'd already eaten a lot earlier in the day.

Today has been spent preparing our presentations for tomorrow, when we have the conference.  We plan on taking a break by going for a dip in the (heated) pool (temperatures are around 60-65--beautiful weather but not quite warm enough for swimming by normal standards).  Update to come soon!

-Brenna

Just days away...

Hi everyone!

The big trip is just days away, and I can't believe it's almost here! We're all very excited to begin the adventures, but at least I can say I'm also a bit nervous (though that's probably natural).

The project I have taken on is a continuation of the research performed by Amber Williams (BC '10)  entitled "POTENTIAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AT LOW LEVELS - CHANGES IN EXPRESSION OF SHRIMP ALLERGENS AND ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING GENES".   Basically, this means that I'll be examining quantities of RNA that code for four different shrimp proteins that act as allergens, and measuring how much they are expressed, and then compare these values with an analysis of pollutant loads, that includes viruses and heavy metal load.  We hope to find a trend between levels of pollution and how much these genes are expressed--which could help explain why allergies to shrimp are increasing so rapidly in the US! 


We'll also be making a documentary examining environmental and social justice surrounding the shrimping industry.  Elements of the project will include interviews with fishermen, local residents, NGOs, and scientists, and strive to bring awareness to injustices perpetrated to the mangroves forests and surrounding ecosystems and communities.  We like to think of this as a great way to link our scientific research (and other related material) to the greater context of society, and at the same time demonstrating the connections that exist between the countries of the world--while we focus on Ecuador, shrimp aquaculture is also prevalent in southeast Asia, and in other parts of central and south America, and the main consumers of said shrimp are the US and Europe.  


While we are clearly going to enjoy ourselves and have an amazing trip, we will also have a lot of work to do, juggling our scientific research projects along with the documentary! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I'm positive this is going to be an amazing experience.  We'll try to update frequently, so stay tuned!


-Brenna

Final Program for Quito, Ecuador

This is the final program for our meeting in Quito, Ecuador the first week we arrive. This will be for students, researchers, doctors, and others interested in our work in Ecuador. I'm giving a fifteen minute presentation on my topic between 9:45-10:00. We will repeat the program several times during our travels throughout Ecuador.

F U C O B I
FUNDACION PARA LA CONSERVACION DE BIODIVERSIDAD DE ANIMALES ACUATICOS Y TERRESTRES DE ECUADOR

ENVIRONMENTAL GENOMICS, INC.
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA, USA
BOSTON COLLEGE
CHESTNUT HILL, MA, USA

Tienen el honor de invitar a Usted(es) a la

PRIMERA REUNION INTERNACIONAL SOBRE
UNA SALUD / ONE HEALTH
CONSERVAR ECOSISTEMAS SALUDABLES, PARA PRODUCIR Y MANTENER ANIMALES SALUDABLES Y PROTEGER LA SALUD PUBLICA

FECHA: Miércoles 30 de Junio, 2010
HORA: 08:00 - 17:30 pm
LUGAR: Auditorio del Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, Acuacultura y Pesca (MAGAP), Av. Eloy Alfaro y Amazonas, Quito

Estudiantes: gratis (con carnet); Profesionales/Docentes: $10, Instituciones: $20
_______________________________________

CONFERENCISTAS:
DRA. ACACIA ALCIVAR WARREN, DMVZ, MS, PhD (EGI, FUCOBI)
DR. CARLOS MEJIA (FUCOBI)
DRA. LAURA HAKE, BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, (BOSTON COLLEGE, USA)
COLABORADORES NACIONALES E INTERNACIONALES DE FUCOBI

Nota : Se entregarán Diplomas a los asistentes

Inscripciones: fucobi@gmail.com Teléfono: 042 647 816  

PROGRAMA, UNA SALUD /ONE HEALTH

8H00-8H15 UNA SALUD / ONE HEALTH

Bienvenida/ WELCOME
Miriam Alcivar Arteaga, Directora Ejecutiva, FUCOBI

SESION: SALUD DE ECOSISTEMAS / ECOSYSTEM HEALTH
Moderadora: Maria Luisa Ortega, FUCOBI

8H15-9H00
LA META DE FUCOBI: "UNA SALUD/ONE HEALTH" BASADA EN LA CONSERVACION DE BIODIVERSIDAD DE ECOSYSTEMAS SALUDABLES, PARA PRODUCIR ANIMALES SALUDABLES Y PROTEGER LA SALUD PUBLICA
[THE GOALS OF FUCOBI: "UNA SALUD/ONE HEALTH" BASED ON CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY OF HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, TO PRODUCE HEALTHY ANIMALS, TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH]
Acacia Alcivar Warren, DMVZ, MS, PhD - FUCOBI, Ecuador

9H00-9H15
VALOR BIOLOGICO, AMBIENTAL, CULTURAL Y ECONOMICO DE LOS MANGLARES
[BIOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF MANGROVE FORESTS]
Sofia Figueroa, Daniela Espinoza, Miriam Alcivar, Acacia Alcivar-Warren - FUCOBI

9H15-9H45
ESTADO DE SALUD DEL ECOSISTEMA MANGLAR DE ECUADOR
[HEALTH STATUS OF THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF ECUADOR]
Daniela Espinoza, Sofia Figueroa, Miriam Alcivar, Acacia Alcivar-Warren - FUCOBI

9H45-10H00
BIODIVERSIDAD DE MANGLARES DE ECUADOR – ESTABLECIMIENTO DE UNA BASE DE DATOS DE LA DIVERSIDAD GENETICA Y CARGA POLUTANTE EN LOS MANGLARES Y SEDIMENTOS DE CINCO PROVINCIAS COSTERAS Y LAS ISLAS GALAPAGOS
[BIODIVERSITY OF MANGROVES OF ECUADOR - ESTABLISHMENT OF A DATABASE WITH INFORMATION ON GENETIC DIVERSITY AND POLLUTANT LOAD OF MANGROVES AND SEDIMENTS FROM FIVE COASTAL PROVINCES AND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS]
Benjamin Hall1, Serena Moseman-Valtierra1, Aleksandra Jachtorowicz1, Brenna Kelley1, Daniela Espinoza, Sofia Figueroa2, Gober Asuncion2, Oscar Jean2-3, Joe Singh3, Shana Singh3, Miriam N. Alcivar2, Laura Hake1, Acacia Alcivar-Warren1,2 - Boston College1, FUCOBI2, Universidad Tecnica de Machala3, Environmental Genomics Inc.3

10H00-10H15 – Descanso/Break

SESION: SALUD ANIMAL / ANIMAL HEALTH
Moderador: Dr. Pedro Andrade, FUCOBI

10H15-11H00
OTROS PROYECTOS DE FUCOBI EN AREAS DE SALUD ANIMAL, SALUD PUBLICA Y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTICIA - ANIMALES ACUATICOS, SILVESTRES Y DOMESTICOS: POLLOS, CERDOS, VACAS Y CABRAS
[OTHER FUCOBI PROJECTS IN AREAS OF ANIMAL HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY -
AQUATICS, WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK: CHICKEN, PIGS, CATTLE, GOATS]
Acacia Alcivar-Warren, Miriam Alcivar, Carlos Mejia - FUCOBI

11H00-11H45
INTEGRACION DE LOS VIRUS DEL CAMARON IHHNV, WSSV Y TSV EN EL GENOMA DE ANIMALES Y PLANTAS - POTENCIAL IMPACTO A LA BIODIVERSIDAD, INDUSTRIA ACUICOLA, SALUD ANIMAL, SALUD PUBLICA Y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTICIA
[INTEGRATION OF SHRIMP VIRUSES IHHNV, WSSV AND TSV IN THE GENOME OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS - POTENTIAL IMPACT TO BIODIVERSITY, AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY, ANIMAL HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY]
Acacia Alcivar-Warren1-3 , John Martucci2, Jeremy Vincent2, Daniela Espinoza1, Laura Hake1 - FUCOBI1, Boston College2, Environmental Genomics Inc.3

11h45 -12H00
TRANSCRIPTOMA DEL CAMARON Litopenaeus vannamei EXPUESTO AL SINDROME DE TAURA
[THE TRANSCRIPTOME OF SHRIMP, Litopenaeus vannamei, EXPOSED TO TAURA SYNDROME VIRUS]
Aracelly Alcivar1, Miriam Alcivar1, Acacia Alcivar-Warren1-2 - FUCOBI1 Ecuador, Environmental Genomics, Inc., USA2

12H00-12H45
EPIGENETICA DEL CAMARON - SEXO, RETROTRANSPOSONES, Y SUSCEPTIBILIDAD O TOLERANCIA A ENFERMEDADES
[SHRIMP EPIGENETICS - SEX, RETROTRANSPOSONS, AND SUSCEPTIBILITY AND/OR TOLERANCE TO DISEASES]
Acacia Alcivar-Warren1-3 and Laura Hake1 - Boston College1, FUCOBI2, Environmental Genomics, Inc.3

12H45-14H00: Almuerzo/Lunch

SESSION: SALUD PUBLICA / PUBLIC HEALTH
Moderador: Dr. Acacia Alcivar-Warren, FUCOBI

14H00-14H45
POLUTANTES ORGANICOS PERSISTENTES (POPs) PRESENTES EN ECUATORIANOS - REPORTE DE ESTUDIOS REALIZADOS POR LA FAO EN ECUADOR
[PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs) PRESENT IN ECUADORIANS - REPORT OF STUDIES PERFORMED BY FAO-ECUADOR]
Ricardo Tapia Cedeño, Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO, Quito

14H45-15H00
POTENCIALES DISRUPTORES ENDOCRINOS A BAJOS NIVELES - CAMBIOS EN LA EXPRESSION DE GENES QUE CAUSAN ALERGIA AL CAMARON EN HUMANOS Y DE DISRUTORES ENDOCRINOS
[POTENTIAL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AT LOW LEVELS - CHANGES IN EXPRESSION OF SHRIMP ALLERGENES AND ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING GENES]
Laura Hake1, Amber Williams1, Brenna Kelly1, Lauren Johnston1, Daniela Espinoza2, Joe Singh3, Carlos Mejia,. Boston College1, FUCOBI2, Environmental Genomics, Inc.3

15H00-15H30
CONTAMINACIÓN DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE POR METALES PESADOS Y SU POTENCIAL RIESGO EN EL DESARROLLO DEL CANCER Y OTRAS ENFERMEDADES EN HUMANOS
[ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION BY HEAVY METALS AND POTENTIAL RISKS FOR CANCER AND
OTHER HUMAN DISEASES]
Carlos Mejia MD, Pedro Andrade MD, Acacia Alcivar-Warren DMVZ - FUCOBI, Ecuador

15H30-16H00
ENFERMEDADES ZOONOTICAS EMERGENTES - PERSPECTIVAS EN SALUD GLOBAL Y SEGURIDAD ALIMENTICIA EN ECUADOR
[EMERGING ZOONOTIC DISEASES - PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY IN ECUADOR]
Acacia Alcivar-Warren DMVZ, Pedro Andrade MD, Carlos Mejia MD - FUCOBI

16H00-16H15
JUSTICIA AMBIENTAL – VIDEO DOCUMENTAL SOBRE LOS IMPACTOS SOCIALES ASOCIADOS CON LA PRODUCCION DE CAMARONES EN ECUADOR
[ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - VIDEO DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE SOCIAL IMPACT ASOCIATED WITH SHRIMP AQUACULTURE IN ECUADOR]
Brenna Kelly1, Benjamin Hall1, Aleksandra Jachtorowicz1, Daniela Espinoza2, Sofia Figueroa2, Miriam Alcivar2, Acacia Alcivar-Warren1-3, Laura Hake1. Boston College1, FUCOBI2, Environmental Genomics, Inc.3

16H15-16H45
"UNA SALUD /ONE HEALTH" – EL FUTURO ES NUESTRO: UNASE A NUESTO PROYECTO A LARGO PLAZO PARA CONSERVAR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE ECOSISTEMAS, PROMOVER SALUD ANIMAL PRODUCIENDO ALIMENTOS SANOS CON BAJOS NIVELES DE POLUTANTES, PARA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA Y PROTEGER LA SALUD PUBLICA
["UNA SALUD/ONE HEALTH" - THE FUTURE IS OURS: JOIN OUR LONG-TERM PROJECT TO CONSERVE ECOSYSTEMS BIODIVERSITY, PROMOTE ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCE HEALTHY FOOD WITH LOW POLLUTANT LOAD, TO ADRESS FOOD SECURITY AND PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH]
Acacia Alcivar-Warren, Maria B. Alcivar-Zuniga, Fernando Aveiga -Alcivar, Miriam Alcivar Arteaga - FUCOBI

16H45-17H00
CIERRE DEL PROGRAMA /END OF PROGRAM
Miriam Alcivar Arteaga, Directora Ejecutiva, FUCOBI
-Entrega del premio "Clarence and Ruth Warren" al mejor proyecto de estudiantes que realiza investigaciones sobre topicos relacionados con UNA SALUD/ONE HEALTH y ACUICULTURA
-Award Ceremony - "The Clarence B. and Ruth Warren Award for Excellence in Research" to be given to the best poster/research project submitted by national and international students on topics related to UNA SALUD/ONE HEALTH and AQUACULTURE.

And so our journey begins...

Hello! My name is Benjamin Hall and I am a student researcher with the project One Health/ Una Salud: Ecuador 2010, supported by Environmental Genomics, FUCOBI , and Boston College biology department. Our team is working under BC faculty member Dr. Laura Hake and visiting professor Dr. Acacia Warren and will be traveling to Ecuador from June 27th- August 2nd. The goal of our research is to unite and examine ecosystem, animal, and public health of the Ecuadorian shirimp aquaculture industry, specifically looking at pollutant load, heavy metals, allergens, shrimp viruses, and mangrove ecosystems.

I am a sophomore biology major at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA with minors in mathematics and environmental studies. I joined Hake/ Warren lab this past spring semester after learning about the project from graduating senior and student researcher Amber Williams, BC '10. My interests in public health and evironmental studies fit nicely with the goals of the project and I was invited to join the team. Other members of the lab include Brenna Kelley (BC '12), John Martucci (BC '12), Alaksandra (Ola) Jachtorowicz (BC '12), and Jeremy Vincent (BC '11). Brenna, Ola, and I will all be traveling with Dr. Acacia Warren to Ecuador in two weeks!

This past semester we have made a lot of headway on the project in our fourth floor lab located in Higgins Hall (pictured above). We have assigned student projects, learned how to process DNA, process RNA, and run quality controls gels. We have also done extensive literature reviews, written proposals, fundraised, and presented posters at BC Undergraduate Research Day.

My personal project is titled:

"Genetic Diversity of Eduadorian Mangroves Using Genomic and Expressed
Microsatellites, and Survey of Heavy Metals in Sediments Along the Coast of
Ecuador"

In collecting mangrove leaf, root, sediment, and water samples during my field work in the month to come, I hope to find a correlation between the type of mangrove species and the pollutant load in the area being studied. Mangrove plants are considered phytostabilizers that can withstand and retain high levels of pollutant load in their extensive root system and not be harmed.

In preparation, I have been finalizing my protocol that I will use to collect the samples and isolate RNA while in Ecuador. This immediate isolation is necessary because RNA degrades very quickly and in order for furthur analysis must be processed very soon after collection. I am nervous for the conditions that we will face for at times a beach or a hotel room will be our only place to work, which is far from ideal laboratory conditions. I will be going to Higgins at some point this week to pack my suitcase full of supplies and learn how to use a video camera because... SURPRISE, we're filming a documentary on the social and environmental injustices associated with the shrimp aquaculture industry of Ecuador as part of a grant received from the BC Film Studies Department! Also, on Wednesday I'll be traveling to Lahey Clinic to receive my immunizations for Hep A, Hep B, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and malaria.

I hope to use this blog to post information about my research during the trip to Ecuador, my thoughts, feelings, sights, experiences, etc. as a way to keep fellow researchers, family, and friends up to date with what I am doing while abroad. This is my first time abroad and I am extremely excited with wait awaits us. I know it will be challenging and tiresome at times, but I'm sure the skills and experiences I will take away from this trip will stay with me for my entire lifetime! Feel free to post questions and comments about the trip/ research for those that read this will be our main supporters. Thanks for reading and I hope to post again soon.

-Ben