A meeting with Dr. G

It took a bit longer to occur than I had thought, but today I finally sat down with Dr. Guevara and discussed my goals for my time at CBM and what he expects of me as a research assistant. First and foremost I want to learn as much as possible, any disease, any technique, everything going on in that lab is of interest to me. However, as laid out in my proposal, I also desire to work with Chagas disease and up until now that hasn’t been happening. Dr. Guevara explained to me that they are waiting for key materials to continue work on Chagas but that I need not worry about being able to spend significant time working with Chagas disease. I also hope to spend time in Pastaza province collecting serum and triatomine samples, interviewing local inhabitants, etc.; this he explained to me would happen after we are able to process the samples currently collected from a field research excursion conducted before I arrived. Another goal of mine is to take a class at the CBM to help facilitate my time in the lab and also to learn more, meet new people, and improve my Spanish. Dr. Guevara told me this is no problem and I will be selecting a class very soon, as classes start next week! Until the Chagas materials arrive I will be helping Dr. Calvopiña work on onchocerciasis.

Onchocerciasis is a disease resulting from a parasitic worm transmitted by small flies. It isn’t fatal but the worms develop into the adult form in the subcutaneous tissue forming painful, itchy and unsightly nodules; these nodules can harbor adult worms that live up to 14 years! As such, if the disease is ever to be fully wiped out health officials will have to wait 14 years after the last diagnosed case. The heaviest disease burden results from worms migrating to one’s eyes and causing blindness in the afflicted individual. For more information see: http://www.who.int/tdr/diseases/oncho/default.htm

We are currently trying to recover oncho DNA to determine if the flies are actually infected with the worm and the optimal part of the fly to do this from is the head. However, the flies are too small to cut effectively. Thus (what we did today) is a procedure in which the flies are washed in ethanol several times before being frozen in a -80 degrees C freezer for two hours. After this the flies are removed and, still in their plastic container, slammed violently against the bench; quite possibly the most forceful lab procedure I’ve ever witnessed. This, if done right, separates all the heads from their respective bodies. Brilliant really. The next steps involve the oncho DNA extraction from the fly heads but I will detail that more as I get to do it.

I continue to talk with the local security guards every day after work: each one I’ve met so far is a great guy. Today I met Douglas for the first time, he is from Bolivar Province and has worked in Quito for 4 years. I’ll have to find out more soon! Yesterday I was chatting with Oswaldo (another security guard – pictured in a previous entry who also lives in Bolivar!) and found out we’re almost the same age (me 23, him 22). He described his home and family to me and even let me see a few pics of his family’s prize cows on his cell phone. I expressed interest in seeing his hometown sometime and he invited me to come stay with his family in February for a certain local festival that is supposed to be the bomb (please note, this was my interpretation, Oswaldo did not literally say “the bomb.” I’m not actually sure if they use bomb to mean cool down here, my other “cool” word literal translation – sweet – has failed utterly). Anyway, I can’t wait!

Two days back I spent some time with Carlos, my third guard friend (good to be friends with the guys who have guns!). I found out he’s 60 (looks much younger) and served 25 years in the army. He also has a son in Quito who owns a gym that I will have to check out sometime. I asked if I could get his picture to share and he agreed… on the condition he could hold his gun!



(Carlos!)


I’ve also decided to show you a representative sample of what I eat on a daily basis. For breakfast there is usually a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, some type of bread or jam sandwich, a bowl of fresh fruit/yogurt/granola, and juice or chocolate milk.



(Breakfast)


Lunch, during the weekdays, is bought in one of the many small restaurants near the lab (I usually go with Theo and we haven’t gone to the same one twice!) Soup is followed by a main plate of rice (ALWAYS rice), meat, and beans/potato/veggies of some sort; juice, coke, or water to drink.

I actually get two lunches, as when I return home around 5pm I eat the lunch from home that I missed! Similar fare to the above description but more food and better tasting.



(Lunch)


Dinner is eaten around 9pm and consists of a sandwich, maybe fruit; not very much food really as lunch is the main meal.

OK, I have to sign off to study my Spanish vocab, hasta luego. -Michael