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
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