Evolutionary research
By Jessica Soria
This quarter, I began research in the Reznick lab. The research I’m involved in explores reciprocal feedback with ecological change and evolution. My work looks at the population density of microscopic species as a measure for change.
In lab, I have two options as to how I will spend my time: sorting microscopic insects or identifying said microscopic insects. For the sorting, there are a few basic steps: sifting, separating and picking. A stream sample is sifted through two sieves, which separate the sample into two layers: coarse and fine. The coarse layer captures the larger stream material and organisms while the fine layer catches the smaller organisms and fine grains of dirt and sand. The samples are then washed onto separate trays and the
samples are picked clean of all the critters hiding in the material. For the coarse sample, the specimens are often visible to the eye and easy to collect. This layer usually doesn’t prove too hard unless there are lots of plants and rocks that get in the way of my view as I sort. The fine layer, however, has organisms that are usually the size of the rocks and sand and blend in quite easily so it is with squinted eyes and a hunched back that I comb over this sample again and again. However, the satisfaction of finding all the little critters is akin to finding Waldo when I was little.

The other way I spend my time is identifying the insects that have been collected. For this, I am usually equipped with tweezers (to better examine the specimens), a visual guide of all the different species that can be found (to better identify the critters with) and my brain (the better to discern which creature is what with). This is a much slower process than sorting organisms because it often takes several minutes of sorting the organisms into groups and then several more minutes to positively identify them. However, this work is something that requires extra time to ensure that everything is 100% correct. A wrong conclusion could lead to data being skewed which could lead to an inaccurate conclusion about what the data says.
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Despite the hard work, I thoroughly love working in the Reznick lab. For me, it’s deeply satisfying and explores a subject that captures my interest. I hope to be able to contribute significantly during spring quarter and use my research for my senior thesis.
