I joined Rodrigo’s team early during my bachelor studies and chose to stay in his group to perform my master’s project. My main research topics were the evolution of axis patterning and segmentation in arthropods. My central results from my BSc and MSc projects cover novel observations and comparisons of arthropod development. During my MSc, I characterized the heterogeneous roles of the polycistronic gene mille-pattes(mlpt) throughout the embryogenesis – from body axis segmentation to exoskeleton formation – of the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus and put it into the wider context of arthropod evolution. Thanks to a collaboration, a unique molecular-level functional analysis was achieved via molecular docking modeling. This study elucidated how a pleiotropic molecular mechanism’s developmental functions may have evolved and diversified. Further publications stress how understanding development helps pest control efforts.