I am looking for one or two students who would like to help develop a new area of research in my lab. The research would involve literature and database searches to discover what is known about parasitic plant galling wasps and those of the genus Callirhytis in particular. This small wasp produces billions of galls on trees in the Midwest including here in Akron.
Eventually I will be interested in investigating the complex insect-plant interactions including possibly secondary parasitism on these galls. I am also interested in developing a network for observing outbreaks of galling over many years and obtaining samples from across the range of this galling wasp for genetic studies.
You can read about my observations and pictures of this wasp and the galls it makes here: https://thenaturalhistorian.com/2013/10/01/gall-wasps-fuzzy-orange-galls-on-pin-oak-leaves/
I am aware that almost nothing is known about this particular species so whatever we discover will be new. The research would involve obtaining several forms of preliminary data and helping me to develop ideas for continuing research. That preliminary data would come in the form of morphological characterization of the galls by light and electron microscopy. I would also like to dissect galls to retrieve wasp grubs for DNA extraction, PCR and DNA sequencing. DNA sequences would be first used for baseline comparisons with other species of the genus and family. Student research on the life history of the wasps including the plant-insect interactions are expected to lead to additional research projects that will involve significant student contributions (ideas and data collection).
The project could center around morphological descriptions and field observation or be focused on the molecular genetic characterization of the wasps. I expect the general characterization of the galls with microscopy to be publishable. Additional projects may span the next two or three years and include field observations, collection of samples from multiple hosts and documentation of wasp behavior. I would also like to develop a website to share this work with the pubic.
Click here to find out more about the Duff lab.
This study will use a thermal camera mounted to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to study white-tailed deer populations with Bath Nature Preserve and the Cleveland Metroparks. While drones are a big part of the study, other methods for mapping deer will be utilized as to have something to compare the drone sampling method to. I am looking for anyone interested in ecology or learning how to count deer populations
Why Use a Drone?
The main advantages of this method of sampling is that it should be less prone to human error. Instead of a compass, protractor and rangefinder that are required for distance sampling (the method most used), the drone can collect all the necessary data instantly and more reliably. Deer have developed a camouflage that makes it difficult to locate them in some environments. The thermal camera above the tree line with its line of sight not inhibited by trees take away any doubts that a researcher may have in locating and identifying the white-tailed deer. Also, the locations will be georeferenced and digitized and in GIS software any time after the fact.
If you are interested in getting more information about this project, email me at spd34@zips.uakron.edu.
Click here for more information about the Mitchell lab.
Successfully restoring a wetland plant community is a difficult task and not always as predictable as we would like. The factors involved in determining which seeds germinate and which of those manage to emerge from the soil are valuable information needed to guide the restoration process in a desirable direction. The requirements for various species to germinate have been studied extensively, however the subsequent life stage has not. For this research project we investigate the environmental filters that affect germinated seeds and the strategies these plant species exhibit to successfully emerge. In doing so, we will examine the germination stage, the germinant stage, and the juvenile stage in the plant regeneration cycle. In participating in this project, you will develop plant identification skills, gain field experience, learn germination trial requirements, and probably get somewhat dirty!
Subjective tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound, which negatively impacts quality of life for millions worldwide. Despite the great demand for an effective treatment, there are no approved drugs to prevent and treat tinnitus. Previous studies have suggested abnormal thalamocortical oscillations as one possible mechanism underlying tinnitus. This abnormal thalamocortical activity, such as an increase in delta-band activity, can be attributed to the increased activity of T-type calcium channels. Therefore, we hypothesize that abnormal expressional changes of T-type calcium channels is one major cause of tinnitus. Thus, in this project, we plan to determine potential molecular targets to treat tinnitus.
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Student Benefits
We will teach you how to design and carry a neuroscience experiment, also teach you modern behavioral and molecular biological skills, which can be applied to various fields. Of course, your contribution to this project will be credited if any publications come out from this project.
Click here to find out more about the Bao lab
We study the interplay between the organic (microbes) and the inorganic (minerals) at the microscopic scale. Through a combination of metabolic and geochemical pathways, bacteria can initiate and influence mineral growth and/or decay. Caves host a diverse range of microbial communities in close association with unusual calcium carbonate structures (speleothems), making these environments important sources of scientific discovery with valuable potential for applications in the realms of engineering living materials and CO2 sequestration. We aim to further our understanding of the principles of cave microbiology and use that knowledge to inform the development of novel biological materials.
Fig2: Fungal mycelium (blue) growing around cave mineral formations (red)
Current Project
I am seeking a student interested in helping me investigate the microbiological aspects of cave-derived mineral specimens using a combination of microscopy, microbiology culturing methods and geochemical techniques. Students will take part in the development of engineered living materials and begin to gain a practical understanding of geo-microbiology research, develop a range of laboratory skills, and assist in planning and carrying out experiments.
Fig3: Environmental samplingClick here for more information about Dr. Barton’s lab
Cookie-cutter shark headBites from a cookie-cutter shark on another fish
In the Astley lab, we study the biomechanics of animal behavior, and create devices which use animal-inspired principles to solve human problems. The cookie-cutter shark bites out a hemispherical plug of flesh from its victims. Living in oceanic waters, these sharks prey on bony fish, marine mammals, sharks, stingrays, and even a few submarines in the 70s and 80s. From the few documented human attacks, we know they are able to bite very quickly, able to escape before the prey can retaliate. The precise bite mechanics are not known, and our goal is to use mechanical systems with CT scan reconstructions of the jaws to test various biting strategies.
Many people, especially the elderly, rely on assistive devices such as canes and wheelchairs to achieve mobility in their daily lives. However, these devices can only function in a limited range of terrain, making it difficult or impossible for individuals who rely on them to access certain areas. Hiking trails are particularly difficult due to the unpredictable, unstructured, and complex terrain. In this project, you will work with Natraverse founder & Biomimicry Fellow Colleen Unsworth and Dr. Henry Astley to develop assistive devices (a cane and mobile chair) which use inspiration from nature to improve access to complex terrain.
Benefits:
Learn principles of biomechanics and terrestrial locomotion
Learn 3D Printing
Learn about motor actuation and control
Develop new technology to help people
Learn about the biomimicry entrepreneurship process
Conduct interdisciplinary field work in partnership with Wil Hemker of UA Research Foundation and the Department of Chemistry to validate spectroscopic measurements of soil organic carbon in agricultural edge of field vegetation. The project will compare spectroscopic probing with traditional soil core sampling, and explore the possibility of obtaining data on physical properties of soil with additional instrumentation. Fall/winter sampling is weather dependent and requires physical activity such as carrying equipment, walking, standing, and working outdoors.
The Weeks lab is interested in exploring sex chromosomal evolution in a crustacean species, Eulimnadia texana, commonly known a clam shrimp found in vernal pools.
Why clam shrimps?
Most of the animals, especially including mammals and humans, are at an advanced stages of chromosomal evolution. Therefore, it is difficult to study sex chromosome evolution in these species. Clam shrimps, on the other hand, are in an early stage of sex chromosome evolution. This allows us to see into the stages of sex chromosome evolution at a stage when theory suggests such chromosomes will begin to degrade.
Clam shrimps are androdioecious (males + hermaphrodites) and have a WZ sex-determining system which prevents major chromosome degradation by expressing both sex chromosomes in homozygous form (WW and ZZ). This keeps the W chromosome from degrading. Hence, Clam shrimp are an excellent model system to investigate how advanced degradation develops in other species, such as humans.
Project details:
We have a whole genome sequence of clam shrimp. The genome is like a book and the chromosomes are its chapters. We are specifically interested in one chapter: the sex chromosome. We are using bioinformatic pipelines to analyze genomic data specifically related to sex chromosomes in order to test hypotheses of sex chromosomal evolution. Sex chromosome evolutionary theory predicts that a high proportion of repeat sequences/Transposable Elements (TEs) should accumulate on incipient sex chromosomes. An important next step would be to annotate this genome content in terms of repeat sequences. The proposed clam shrimp genome-wide TE analysis will: 1) identify novel TEs and enhance the genome-wide content annotation; 2) improve our understanding of the processes of sex chromosome degradation in E. texana; and 3) substantially broaden our understanding of sex chromosome evolution in animals overall.
Benefits for the student:
Learn how to access and utilize databases such as NCBI, Blast, ClustalW, and Structure.
Understand how sequence homology relates to evolution.
Learn how to manage and automate big data using a unix platform and python programming language.
Learn how to analyze and visualize data using R programming language.
Understand the power of Bioinformatics.
Qualifications:
We seek undergraduate students who are interested in bioinformatics to study sex chromosome evolution from any major who is willing to learn the above skills.
Click here for more information on the Weeks lab
