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Department
of Biological Sciences
Teachers will
be able to choose from the following projects.
There is significant flexibility that will allow a teacher
to design his or her own research experience or work on an
existing project.
All faculty mentors have a proven record of research
mentorship, and are eager to work with high school teachers.
They use inquiry methods in their own teaching and are informed
about high school biology education and national science
standards. Teachers are to participate in full time summer
research for 5 weeks.
Project
Descriptions: ARCHIVES
- Comparative Analysis
of Photoreceptor Cell Types in the Compound Eyes of Insects.
- Neuropeptide
Modulation of Vertebrate Behaviors.
- The Genetic and
Developmental Basis of Divergence in Drosophila.
- Molecular Genetic
Analysis of Zebrafish Eye Development and Retinal Regeneration.
- Avian Ovarian
Follicle Selection Mediated by Release from Inhibitory
MAP Kinase Signaling.
Further
Information Projects 1-5: Applications
are due April
15, 2005. The stipend
for teachers will be $5000 for the five weeks. There
will be funds for classroom development after the summer.
- Invasive
Species.
- Investigating
Ionic Liquid Toxicity in Aquatic Environments.
Further
Information Projects 6-7: Applications
are due
April 15, 2005 .
- Comparative Analysis of Photoreceptor
Cell Types in the Compound Eyes of Insects. Project
under the direction of Professor Michelle Whaley.
Analysis of the genome content of many different
organisms now allows comparative studies into
the expression of genes in particular tissues
and cell types. Members of the rhodopsin family
of visual pigments are expressed in subsets of
photoreceptor cells to tune the photoreceptor
to colors of light. Analysis of this gene family
in many insects, including ants, butterflies,
fruit flies and mosquitoes has shown a wide scope
of the type and number of these genes in different
genomes. In this project we seek to understand
the cellular architecture of each compound eye
relative to the expression of these individual
genes. The teacher will play a key role in one
or more of the following projects: i. Gene cloning
work to prepare gene expression constructs to
allow visual pigments found in other insects
to be expressed and characterized in Drosophila
melanogaster, ii. Drosophila genetic crosses
and mating schemes to characterize transgenic
strains and place transgenes in required genetic
backgrounds, iii. histological examination of
the retinal organization in the insects, providing
description of the cellular anatomy and the cells
expressing particular visual pigments, iv. electroretingram
analysis of the visual pigment. Drosophila is
a genetic model organism that is easy to manipulate
and rear. The PI can offer the high school teacher
a variety of stocks, genes, and equipment to
carry out a laboratory or research project. Some
ideas for an inquiry project are: 1) the introduction
to genomes via a computer based analysis of visual
pigments from insect genome data on-line, 2)
the study of genetic inheritance by observing
an interesting phenotype and how it is transmitted
to the next generation, 3) the examination of a phenotype
in a mutant fly followed by the cloning the gene
causing that trait via PCR and analyzing the
molecular defect through DNA sequencing, 4) the
study of genes that interact with each other
through epistasis crosses, etc.
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- Neuropeptide Modulation of Vertebrate Behaviors. Project
advisor is Sunny Boyd. The long-term objective of
this research program is to identify the interactions
among chemical messengers that control behaviors. Neuropeptides
and steroid hormones alter a variety of vertebrate
behaviors, including parental, aggressive, and reproductive
behaviors. The mechanisms of action of these compounds
and the site in the brain where they act on specific
behaviors are poorly understood. We currently focus
on the neurohypophysical peptides which modulate
the display of vocalizations in vertebrates. Vocal
behavior is a critical component in social interactions
of many species, including humans. Projects will
be designed to provide experience at both the whole-animal
behavior level and also at the cellular and molecular
level of investigation. Teachers will thus (1) analyze
the effects of peptides and steroids on animal behavior,
(2) localize peptides, steroids and their receptors
in the brain, and/or (3) sequence genes involved in
the synthesis of these factors or their receptors.
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- The
Genetic and Developmental Basis of Divergence in
Drosophila. Project Advisor: Professor
Hope Hollocher.
Introduction: The long term objectives
of this research are to determine the genetic and
developmental changes responsible for differences
we observe between species in order to reveal general
patterns underlying speciation processes. Are certain
traits more prone to change during speciation than
others? If so, why? Do differences between species
mostly arise from changes in gene regulation? These
are a few of the many questions we aim to answer
in our research.
Research Projects: We utilize two different Drosophila
systems to understand species divergence. The first
focuses on the evolution of reproductive isolation
between different species of African Drosophila
(specifically, Drosophila melanogaster and its
sister species). Here, the arsenal of genetic tools
available in D. melanogaster is used to identify
which genes are involved in disrupting germ line
development in hybrids. In addition, microarrays
serve to assay gene expression profiles of pure
species and hybrids to investigate how the genetic
cascades affecting germ line development are altered
during speciation. The second focuses on the evolution
of abdominal pigmentation between different species
of the Drosophila cardini group, which inhabit
the Caribbean Islands and nearby mainland of Central
and South America. Here, patterns of sequence variation
from multiple genes involved in pigmentation are
analyzed to determine how these patterns correspond
to changes in the developmental control of melanin
synthesis and deposition in the different species
as they adapt to different habitats.
Transfer to the Classroom: Teachers will obtain
a very good understanding of modern evolutionary
research and how molecular genetics is being used
to answer age-old questions about species origins
(both how these data are obtained and analyzed).
Several of the Drosophila species studied during
the internship can be directly transferred to the
classroom setting to demonstrate basic and more
advanced principles of evolutionary biology. Student
exercises designed to examine patterns of morphological
and behavioral differentiation in these two systems
can be developed that meld more traditional morphological
approaches with advanced molecular genetics to
understand speciation.
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- Molecular Genetic Analysis
of Zebrafish Eye Development and Retinal Regeneration. Project
Advisor: Professor David R. Hyde
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- Avian Ovarian Follicle Selection Mediated
by Release from Inhibitory MAP Kinase Signaling. Project
Advisor: Professor Alan Johnson
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- Invasive
species -
species that spread beyond their native ranges
and cause harm - are an environmentally and economically
damaging consequence of globalization. Lakes are
especially threatened by invasive species, which
are forecast to be the greatest driver of lake
biodiversity losses over the next century. However,
isolation offers lakes a potential measure of protection
from damaging species when their spread can be
controlled through intervention. An important question
therefore is how to optimize over the set of possible
intervention actions to reduce species spread.
In the research to be principally carried out by
the participating HS teacher, we will use analytical
and simulation techniques to investigate the dynamics
of rusty crayfish spread through lake networks.
Then, we will explore methods for optimizing over
the set of possible management interventions. The
proposed research will explore implications of
network theory to the spread of species by focusing
on an ongoing invasion of rusty crayfish among
inland waters of the Midwestern United States.
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- Investigating
Ionic Liquid Toxicity in Aquatic Environments. Currently
used solvents, including toluene and benzene, are
hazardous and contribute to ozone depletion, global
climate change, and smog formation. Researchers
at Notre Dame are creating new room temperature
Ionic Liquids (Ils), non-volatile chemicals synthesized
to replace volatile organic solvents. Ionic Liquids
pose no known significant threat to air quality
but researchers in the biology department are testing
their toxicity in aquatic environments. Teacher
researchers interested in this new and exciting
research would participate in this testing through
an independent research project as part of the
Ionic Liquid research team.
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