• Abrar Ahmed

    Abrar Ahmed
    Mohammed Ali Jinnah Univ.
    Worked with the AFSC's Molecular Ecology Research Lab.

    I worked as an intern from June to August 2005 at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Molecular Ecology Research Lab and assisted Ingrid Spies and Dr. Mike Canino in their research projects; "Genetic population structure of marine fishes" and "Filial cannibalism in Atka Mackerel, Pleurogrammus monopterygius".

    The experience was immensely valuable as not only did I get to work intensively in the laboratory, gaining a multitude of skills and familiarity with specialized laboratory equipment, but I also got to participate in the Gulf of Alaska research survey. The cruise was definitely a unique experience; especially the survival training prior to leaving for the cruise. My responsibilities on the cruise included fish identification, sex discrimination of fishes, otolith collection, data entry and detailed weather observations.

    The goal of the project, "filial cannibalism" was to determine whether adult Atka mackerel were devouring their own offspring. Although I finished my internship before the completion of the project, the data collected thus far proved to be very interesting. We found that there was a high probability that some of the eggs were offspring of the cannibal in question. The data also suggested the possibility of multiple parents for a single clutch of eggs. The other project, "Genetic population structure of marine fishes" involved conducting population genetic studies on two commercial groundfish species, Atka mackerel and Pacific cod. The project helped me to understand

  • the applications of population genetics research in the conservation and management of marine fishes. I was also exposed to a variety of other molecular approaches to address questions in fisheries research. Another side project was reviewing several scientific papers published in journals regarding various aspects of fish genetics.

    I performed numerous DNA extractions using Qiagen DNeasy single column and 96 well kits, Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR), and agarose gel electrophoresis. I prepared gels for genotyping and sequencing on a LI-COR 4200 sequencer, and I created a comprehensive database in to track and record samples of various marine fishes. Working in the laboratory gave me the chance to learn new programs used for things such as analysis and scoring of gels, matching and editing DNA and analysis of genomic data.

    The internship gave me an in-depth look into an entirely new field of fisheries research. I had little knowledge of marine fishes and fisheries management prior to this summer's internship. My ten weeks at the Alaskan Fisheries Science Center were not only extremely educational but a lot of fun as well. Rebecca Reuter, the internship coordinator, also helped to arrange a tour to ZymoGenetics, a biotech company in Seattle, which was another bonus opportunity. I got to interact with other interns, who were assigned to other ongoing projects at the Alaskan Fisheries Science Center, making new friends in the process. I am grateful for the opportunity for the internship as the skills and the knowledge I gained will no doubt be invaluable to me in the future.

    Coordinator's note: Abrar and his immediate family survived the high magnitude earthquake in Pakistan in October 2005. Our thoughts are with them.