Busy, good

Things have been busy but good lately. I've been occupied at work with a number of things, and keeping busy at home. I posted a little while ago about how good it was to be in the middle of a good book, which I found (it's a mystery - genre, that is) and I think has been occupying me to the exclusion of writing posts. But I'm working on a plant post which I hope to finish tonight.

I've been getting ready to travel next week to a conference. The Evolution Meetings is a conference of several scientific societies and the stuff that's presented there always seems to jibe most with my interests. I'm presenting a poster called, "Genetics of Culex pipiens complex subspecies and their hybrids along a transect". That's the shortened version, if you can believe it. The poster looks great (imo) and after showing it to the boss, I'll get it printed.

We've also stumbled upon another incidence of hybridization that is interesting because it's assumed in entomological circles that the two species in question don't hybridize. Initially we thought the evidence was a result of contamination, but it now that we've looked for more of it, there's something going on. My coworker who is on leave was supposed to be the one investigating this one, but it looks like I'll be doing it instead. It's an exciting research question, and I'll get more experience cloning and sequencing bits of DNA, so that's good.

I'm also (finally!) moving across the hall into some new lab space today. Whoo-hoo!! No more sharing the placemat-sized space among three people. I'm sure there will be stuff that comes up in terms of what goes where and who gets what, but I'm really looking forward to working in the new space.

I'll be staying with my brother while at the conference, and it is always nice to be the happy beneficiary of their hospitality.