June 12th was the 125th anniversary of when the Philippines received independence from Spain. What better way to celebrate a nation’s independence day than exploring its natural beauty! On Monday, we went to Makiling Botanic Gardens and hiked on the Ecotrail for a few hours. Although a lot of us fell (multiple times) due to the muddy inclines and slopes, we enjoyed our little adventure through the forest. Since the shuttle system has limited stops on the weekends and holidays, we also had to walk 45 minutes back to IRRI.
Throughout this week, the other researchers from GQ (PhD students, masters students, scientists, technicians, interns, supervisors, etc) presented their mid-year progress on their projects. We had a collaborative week of meetings with the Gene Identification and Validation Team from IRRI and the Centre for Excellence in Rice Value Addition Team from India (virtually). I was fascinated to be in such an academic atmosphere where I got to learn about more projects happening at IRRI outside of my biochemistry world. Everyone from each team has the same goal in mind but have different ways of accomplishing it: “abolishing poverty and hunger among people and populations that depend on rice-based agri-food systems” and aiming to “improve the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; promote environmental sustainability in a world challenged by climate change; and support the empowerment of women and the youth in the rice industry” (IRRI’s Mission Statement). Some topics that were presented include profiling antioxidant levels in pigmented rice, using a transgenic approach to increase photosynthesis, and producing healthier rice-based food products.
One of my favorite topics was learning about the anti-cancer properties of pigmented rice. Milled rice, aka white rice, is rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ layer removed, leaving just the endosperm. Pigmented rice (black, purple, red, and brown) still has its bran layer as only the husk is removed. Bran is made up of the aleurone layer which contains many nutrients, minerals, fatty acids, dietary fiber, amino acids, and more compounds that play a crucial role in the body. It also contains phytochemicals such as flavonoids which have a lot of antioxidants. These phytochemicals have been proven to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Most people prefer to eat white rice over pigmented rice due to its increased shelf life, its taste/texture, and culinary traditions. While there are lots of claims about pigmented rice’s health benefits, more studies have to be conducted to explore the underlying metabolic diversity using metabolite genome-wide association studies – which is what our researchers are trying to do.
Outside of the presentations, I really appreciated all the snack breaks we had; we also got free lunches at the cafeteria. My favorite treat that I tried this week was maja blanca, which is coconut pudding. Another treat I liked was turon, which is a deep-friend banana roll. Compared to the other jobs I have had in the US, my work hours have been very flexible. Typically we work from 8 to 5 with a 1 hour lunch and little breaks in the middle. Some people choose to come in earlier while others tend to stay later.
On Friday, the newer interns received a more in-depth tour of IRRI that was led by the scholars program. We finally got to go inside one of the areas IRRI is most known for: the International Rice Genebank. Their genebank contains the largest collection of rice species from all around the globe. Rice from decades back are stored either in a huge freezer for long-term preservation or a huge fridge for distribution. We also got to see the Seed Health Unit, Plant Growth Facility, and Genotyping Services Laboratory. Before coming to IRRI, I didn’t know much about rice and the process of cultivating it – I simply just ate it. After getting to see all the processes behind-the-scenes, I have gained more respect for those who work in this industry. Afterwards, the IWU interns and another intern named AJ went shopping at Robinsons and ate at a Tex-Mex restaurant called Spice Jar.
On Saturday, some of the other IRRI interns and on-the-job trainees planned a trip with us to Villa Escudero. Initially, Villa Escudero used to be a coconut plantation that was run by the Escuderos in the 1800s. Now, it’s a popular resort where you get to cool off and become immersed in Filipino culture. First, we went to the Escudero Private Museum which had religious and historic artifacts from around the world. Then, we went bamboo rafting and relaxed in the pool and jacuzzi for a bit. We had a buffet-style lunch right next to a waterfall where the water was running right below us. Afterwards, we watched a cultural show where the songs and dances had a heavy Spanish influence. We all enjoyed spending time with the other IRRI scholars and had an overall fun day trip!
