In collaboration with fellow lab members, we sought information on the physiology and immunology of mosquitoes. I contributed to two main projects. The first was focused on comparing the characteristic hemocyte population of various mosquito species. The other was an endeavor of characterizing the microbiome of a local species of mosquito. Both projects entailed learning and mastering vital laboratory skills. Many of my days would be spent completing rearing tasks for our mosquito colonies or under the dissection scope, removing key organs for downstream activities such as PCR, DNA extraction, culturing, and sequencing.