I am very grateful for the experience of conducting research at the National Institute of Genetics in Japan under the mentorship of Akashi-sensei and Haruka-sensei. This has been a great opportunity to grow not only in terms of research but also in other aspects of my daily life.

During these intense six weeks, I had the chance to collaborate in bioinformatics applied to evolutionary genetics, where I supported Python programming during the process of cleaning and mapping reads from the analysis of ribosome-protected fragments in Drosophila melanogaster.

Some of the things I learned included best practices in programming, text processing, and complex data structures, as well as the fundamentals of the Ribo-seq technique. All of this was taught to me with patience by Akashi-sensei and Haruka-sensei, to whom I am very grateful.

Being part of such a high-level laboratory as the Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory was a constant process of learning and adaptation. I greatly admire the level of dedication, precision, and meticulousness that all members put into their research. I was able to identify deficiencies in my programming and scientific reasoning, which motivates me to address them for future projects.

This internship was not only an opportunity for my academic growth but also allowed me to experience Japanese culture firsthand. I learned about the importance of order, tranquility, quality, and dedication in work. Additionally, I witnessed its excellent gastronomy, infrastructure, and technology, as well as a sustainable human development in harmony with nature.

This experience was enriching in many aspects. I am very grateful to the Akashi Lab and the NIG for their support before, during, and after the internship. I return to Mexico highly inspired to continue my studies and keep learning.