SCITECH RECENTLY: UST TAPBG Shares Expertise on Day 2 of Fieldwork Workshop
By: Xyl Matthea Martin
On the second day of the two-day “Fieldwork 101: Back to the Basics’’ workshop of the Department of Biological Sciences, the incoming fourth-year students were given lab-specific training in preparation for their thesis. It involved a talk with the UST Angiosperm Phylogeny & Barcoding Group (UST TAPBG) at Rooms 321–323 of the UST Main Building on August 1.
The workshop opened with an itinerary-making activity facilitated by Ms. Genea Cortez, MSc, and Mr. Jorge Anton Ordas, MSc. They encouraged the students to plan ahead and make a summary of their fieldwork as detailed as possible. After giving the students adequate time for group discussions, several students were selected to share their itineraries. Then, students’ itineraries were given feedback from the facilitators. Generally, students were advised not to underestimate their travel and trekking time to the designated area, and students should at least give at least two days per sampling site.
Ms. Niña Kathryn Alfeche, MSc followed the activity with a discussion of handling plant specimens during fieldwork and post-processing in the laboratory. This ensures that students can collect specimens in a way where both effort and money put into the fieldwork will not be wasted. One of the key takeaways was the skill of taking aesthetic and functional specimen pictures. Research pictures should always be functional, but functional and aesthetic pictures can help elevate the quality and detail of each photo.
Moreover, the students were advised to know the important characteristics of their plant group or species beforehand for a more efficient collection. Ms. Alfeche further suggested printing the plant characteristics on paper just in case. Students were also shown important techniques for recording and preserving plant specimens using ethanol-water solution, gin and silica gel.
The last speaker, Ms. Eiana Joshier Odulio, MSc, further discussed the post-processing in the laboratory. She showed the list of important information that will be included for making the specimen database and accession numbers. She also provided a sample picture for organizing the digital pictures.
The specimens themselves are one of the most vital parts of a fieldwork. As Ms. Alfeche concluded, “Maiwan na lahat wag lang ang specimens niyo,” emphasizing that proper handling during collection and transport is key for a smooth and successful thesis flow and protecting the integrity of your thesis results.
