• In my first thesis, I worked with cell biology and my project focused on the aggregation phenomenon of the spermatozoa in Coleoptera. I did an extensive review of this topic on Coleoptera and use three different families as examples to investigate why spermatozoa are aggregated. I use different microscopy methods and histology technics to study the structure and ultrastructure of the spermatozoa, and the morphology of the reproductive systems. Besides, I did a revision of the sperm cell to this order of Insects. 

• In my second thesis, I combined the approaches of comparative morphology, molecular evolution, and museomics to infer the phylogenetic relationships, origin, and diversification process of one genus of Coccinellidae and related with the process of the Andes formation and the climatic fluctuation in the past. I successfully get molecular data from tiny museum beetles until 186 years old, including historical and type material. Besides, I performed nomenclatural and taxonomic revisions and described new species.

Skills: 

Molecular biology

o DNA extraction; Next Generation Sequences (Illumina library preparation and data analysis)

Natural History Collections (Management of collection, specimen curation, collection digitalization)

Systematics (taxonomy, nomenclature, and phylogeny)

Comparative morphology and anatomy of insects (dissection and samples preparation)

Cell biology (equipment management, samples preparation, data analysis)

Biodiversity analysis