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Meet the 2002 IBS-CORE Undergraduate Research Fellows (click on their names or scroll down the page to find out more about their research interests) |
To see the work of past IBSCORE Fellows published in the UM Biology Undergraduate Journal click the BUG. |  |
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Naomi Akamine, Hometown:
Okinawa
Research Mentor:
Dr. Mary Poss
Project Title:
Investigating mating strategies and sex-specific dispersal
behavior in Yellowstone cougars (Puma concolor)
using microsatellite analysis.
Project
Description:
Long-term data on
mating strategies and social structure of large carnivore species,
such as cougars, Puma concolor, is limited. Temporal data
on social interactions and movements within and between
populations are necessary to understand how populations change
over time, which has important consequences to both carnivore
conservation strategies and ongoing studies of disease ecology in
our lab. There have been two consecutive studies of cougar
population biology in Yellowstone National Park (YNP); Phase I
from 1988 to 1995 and Phase II from 1997 to present. Results of
the Phase I study demonstrated that males were more likely to
disperse than females and that reproductive success for males was
limited to a few resident males, typical of a classic polygynous
mating system (Murphy et al. 1998). Based on these data, two study
questions are proposed that will assess the temporal stability of
cougar mating and dispersal strategies using genetic markers. The
first will use paternity exclusion analysis to determine if the
classical polygynous mating structure of cougars in YNP reported
in Phase I studies is maintained in the present. For the second
objective, I will evaluate the dispersal patterns of males and
females Yellowstone cougars across time and across groups using
relatedness analyses. Because YNP is a relatively undisturbed
habitat for carnivores, I hypothesize that cougar mating
strategies and dispersal patterns will not change from the
previous study. This project will provide important data on
long-term stability in cougar social structure, which can be
incorporated into models of disease spread in the population.
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Alicia Awes,
Hometown: Red Lodge, MT
Research Mentor:
Dr. Penny Kukuk
Project
Title: The affects of apiaries on spotted knapweed seed production.
Project
Description:
Spotted
knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) is a huge problem in Montana
and many other states across the country. This invasive noxious
weed is established in every county in the states of Montana,
Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington. It causes major damage to the
economy and the environment. It reduces the agricultural,
recreational, and property value of lands. It also changes the
species composition of an infested area by replacing native
vegetation, and it reduces the number of different species in an
area. However, commercial and domestic beekeepers benefit because
the honeybees (Apis mellifera) use knapweed pollen and
nectar. There may be a relationship between spotted knapweed and
apiaries. I hypothesize that the number of viable seeds produced
by a spotted knapweed plant increases in plants that are closer to
apiaries. I think this correlation exists because the bees would
increase cross-pollination among the plants. I plan to analyze
spotted knapweed plants collected from 2 different sites, both
near apiaries. At each site spotted knapweed has been collected at
various distances from the beehives. I will look at seed
production, seed viability, and the dry weight of each spotted
knapweed plant. I will compare the data from the different
distances using statistical analysis. The results of this study
will be important for the management of both apiaries and spotted
knapweed.
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Erik Berquist, Hometown:
Mercer Island, WA
Research Mentor: Dr. Brooke Martin, U of M Chemistry
Department
Project
Title: Arsenite inhibition of vital citric acid cycle enzymes.
Project
Description:
Chronic
arsenite exposure has been linked to cancer of the lung, skin,
kidney, urinary bladder, and liver. Arsenic is present in surface
and ground water as both arsenate, As(V), and arsenite, As(III),
with As(III) the more toxic oxidation state. The toxicity and
carcinogenicity of arsenite have been ascribed to its ability to
induce oxidative stress. A number of mitochondrial enzymes
contain the putative arsenite reactive lipoic acid essential
cofactor. The enzymes pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and
a-ketoglutarate
dehydrogenase (KGDH), which catalyze the initiating and
rate-determining steps of the energy producing Citric Acid Cycle,
are two of these lipoic acid containing enzymes. In addition to
their energy producing capabilities, these enzymes also play an
important role as antioxidants in minimizing oxidative stress.
The proposed result of arsenite modification of lipoic acid
cofactor would result in a loss of enzyme activity in turn
decreasing energy output, increasing oxidative stress, and
ultimately leading to cell death. To test enzyme inhibition,
classic kinetic studies will be performed on both PDH and KGDH
with varying amounts of arsenite. Binding studies will be
performed using anti-lipoic acid antibodies to determine arsenite
binding of lipoic acid. Further, mass spectroscopy will be
performed on digested enzyme. An increase of the mass of the
lipoic acid containing fragment correlating to the mass of
arsenite indicates arsenite modification.
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Kristin Bott, Hometown:
Boise, ID
Research Mentor: Dr. Paul Spruell
Project Title: The genetic variation and distribution of the Desert
Grassland Whiptail (Cnemidorphorus uniparens) in the San
Simon Valley of Arizona and New Mexico.
Project
Description:
Sexual
reproduction involves more exchange of genetic material than
asexual reproduction. Therefore, asexual populations have a lower
level of genetic variation. The desert grassland whiptail lizard,
Cnemidophorus uniparens, of southeastern Arizona and
southwestern New Mexico, is one of a few asexually-reproducing
vertebrates. This study will look at the genetic variation of
these whiptails in the San Simon Valley of Arizona and New
Mexico. Variation will be studied (1) within sample groups and
(2) among sample group. (A "sample group" is defined as a circle
with radius of the estimated home range of C. uniparens,
about 15 meters.) The geographic spread (distribution) of this
variation will also be studied. Lizards will be caught and
released after a small portion of their tail is clipped and basic
measurements (weight, length) are taken. DNA will be extracted
from these tail clips and analyzed using the Wild Trout/Salmon
Genetics Lab facilities. Analysis will be based on the degree of
similarity of genetic fingerprints within and among sample sites.
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Allison
Campfield, Hometown:
RockHill
South Carolina
Research Mentor
Dr. Frank Rosenzweig
Project Title:
Project
Description:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae are useful tools in microbiology because
they have been well characterized physically and genetically (2).
The ability of this organism to alter its patterns of gene
expression provides it with extensive adaptability (5). When
yeast are grown under continuous chemostat cultures, the
populations experience repeated adaptive sweeps. The sweeps occur
when new clones of higher fitness take the place of the old
clones, generating a more fit population. The adaptive sweeps are
monitored with the use of neutral markers. By following the
process of adaptation under nitrogen limitations in a continuous
culture, a window of evolution is observed. Approximately 200
generations of yeast will be grown starting with a common
ancestor. It is predicted that independent lineages of the same
ancestor maintained under the same conditions will evolve
similarly with regard to phenotype. However, because multiple
pathways can lead to the same result, the genotypes will vary. RNA
transcripts will be extracted daily to be used in RNA comparative
genome hybridization techniques. Total genomic DNA will be
isolated to screen for duplications and deletions in the evolved
strains versus the parental strains. Using two different genomic
techniques (1,2), we will identify transcriptional and chromosomal
changes highlighting the evolutionary process. The data obtained
from physiological, DNA microarray, and comparative genome
hybridization analysis will be used to account for the observed
evolutionary changes.
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Mark Davis, Hometown:
Spokane, WA
Research Mentor:
Dr.
Doug Emlen
Project
Title:
Weapon diversity and the function of horns in beetles.
Project
Description:
Sexual
selection is responsible for evolution’s most peculiar animal
forms and adaptations. Using weapons such as horns, antlers, or
even enormous claws, the male sex of species like the ram, elk and
crab fight to gain access to females. These sexually-selected
appendages are amazingly variable and sometimes impressive in
their size with respect to the animals producing them.
I will be conducting contests between males of two separate
beetle species native to Montana that have evolved “horns.” It is
thought these appendages help males compete for access to females,
and thus reproductive success. In fact, studies of a few species,
with horns only protruding from the back of the head, have
suggested that horns do aid males in fights to gain access to
females. However, the species I will test both have different
forms of horns and have never been tested before. One species
native to the Missoula
area has a single horn protruding from the center of the head,
while another species native to the Broadus area has evolved a
broad, thorax-born horn.
The contests I will stage are meant to find out whether the
horns really matter. Studies in the past have focused on larger
males with larger horns. On the other hand, my studies will
compare more similarly sized animals with different
sized horns. I will look for results that conclude the hypothesis
that males with larger horns will gain access to the female a
significantly larger amount of time than those animals with
smaller horns.
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Mahona Dowland, Hometown:
Anaconda, MT
Research Mentor: Dr.
Kerry Foresman
Project
Title:
How the foraging strategy of domestic cats (Felis catis)
may affect small mammals near culverts designed for wildlife
crossings-Lolo South Project.
Project
Description:
I will look at
the behavior of the domestic cat near the entrances of culverts
designed for wildlife crossings to determine their affect upon
small prey mammal species that also use the crossings. The
domestic cat, because of its hunting strategy, is the most likely
of any carnivore present in the area to recognize the areas
surrounding the culverts as having an abundance of prey. Does the
domestic cat recognize these areas? To begin to examine this
question, I will radio collar a domestic cat, with the permission
of any possible owners, and monitor its behavior with stationary
electronic devices set up at each end of a culvert, which detect
the presence or absence of the radio-collared animal within a
certain perimeter. I expect the cat to not only recognize these
areas, but to concentrate its foraging behavior to them. If this
is found to be true using the radio-collar, a remote sensing video
camera will be set up near the entrance most frequently used by
the cat to document its foraging behavior. I expect the cat to
wait stealthily near the entrance and pounce on its unsuspecting
prey as it exits the culvert.
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Allison Greene, Hometown:
Missoula, MT
Research Mentor: Dr.
Andrew Sheldon and
Chris
Funk
Project
Title:
Variation in Male Breeding Success of Columbia Spotted Frogs
Project
Description:
The
number of reproducing individuals in a population is a factor that
influences the genetic diversity and fitness of the population.
If there is no variance in reproductive success, for example if
every individuals breeds once, all individuals will pass their
genes on to the next generation, thereby maintaining a large
proportion of the genetic variation in the population. If
reproductive success is highly variable, however, for example if
some individuals reproduce multiple times while others don’t
reproduce at all, the number of individuals who actually pass
their genes on to the next generation will be small. This can
result in offspring with reduced genetic variation, and a greater
occurrence of negative inbreeding effects. Therefore, variance in
reproductive success is one factor that determines the long-term
survival of populations.
This summer, I propose to conduct research focusing on
variation in individual male breeding success among Columbia
spotted frogs, which will provide me with information about the
rate of loss of genetic diversity. In recent years, amphibian
populations throughout the world have seen sharp declines. One
possible cause of these declines is habitat fragmentation, and the
resulting loss of genetic diversity.
In addition, I plan to measure several physical
characteristics of males that may be related to reproductive
success. My methods will include capturing, marking, and
measuring weight, body length, and arm length of males in a
population in the Cabinet Mountains of Northwest Montana.
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Julie Gurnee,
Hometown: Great Falls, VA
Research Mentor:
Dr. Ray Callaway
Project
Title:
Does Norway maple, an invasive tree, affect native species through
alteration of understory light quantity and quality?
Project
Description:
Introduction
and ensuing invasion of nonnative species is one of the greatest
threats to natural biological diversity. Considerable progress
has been made toward understanding the invasion process.
Unfortunately, ecologists and conservationists have been largely
unable to predict which species will become invasive; which
communities are most likely to be invaded; and which management
practices, if any, will be effective in managing invasive
species. Additional research on invasive species is necessary to
improve our understanding of biological interactions and how they
relate to invasive species and their spread. I propose to explore
how Norway maple, an invasive tree species, has modified the
structure of forest canopies and how these structural changes
affect native species and Norway maple. I plan to conduct a
manipulative greenhouse experiment simulating the changes in light
quantity and quality associated with natural riparian (i.e.,
streamside vegetation) areas and riparian areas invaded by Norway
maple. I will measure the effect of these simulated conditions on
the stem height, leaf number, and biomass of seedlings of several
native species and Norway maple. I predict that decreased light
quantity and altered light quality associated with riparian areas
invaded by Norway maple will favor growth by Norway maple while
either increasing the mortality or inhibiting the growth of native
plant species relative to light characteristics associated with
natural riparian areas.
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Megan Hansen, Hometown:
St.
Paul, MN
Research Mentor:
Dr. Colin Henderson
Project
Title: Fragmentation and
movement in urban fox squirrels.
Project
Description:
The increasing
destruction of habitat and the resulting fragmentation of the
landscape is affecting populations around the world.
Fragmentation splits the landscape into small islands of habitats
and isolates populations that were once unified. This decreases
the genetic variability within populations, which makes the them
less able to adapt, but landscape corridors, narrow stretches of
connecting greenspace, have been proposed as a method of reuniting
populations. The success of corridors depends, however, on
whether wildlife actually uses them for movement. I plan to study
this question in populations of urban fox squirrels in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
Beginning in the last week of May I will trap and mark
squirrels in five parks, four of which are connected by landscape
corridors. For the rest of the summer I will patrol the study
area, recording the locations of the marked squirrels. I will
also record the nesting sites of the marked squirrel. When a
squirrel makes a new nest I will know that he has permanently
moved to the new location. With my data I will look for
connections between movement and the presence of corridors. In
particular, I will examine the dispersal of the young squirrels,
which in natural habitats occurs in July and August. We know that
in natural habitats movement, especially the dispersal of young,
plays an important role in maintaining genetic diversity and
preventing inbreeding. Thus, whether migration is taking place in
urban landscapes has important implications for the health of
urban wildlife populations.
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Catlin Hill, Hometown:
Missoula, MT
Research Mentor:
Dr. James Gannon
Project Title: Microbes from Berkeley Pit.
Project
Description:
The research
project proposed involves collecting sediment and water samples
from the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. The pit is essentially
devoid of all living organisms with the exception of microbes.
The principle bacteria isolated from the pit appear to be members
of the genus Thiobacillus but very little is known about
their unique physiology under adverse conditions, such as low pH
and high metal levels. We propose to study iron and sulfur
metabolism from isolates taken from various depths in the pit
focusing on the potential role of these bacteria in the seasonal
iron and sulfur cycles. Filtered pit water from various depths,
amended with iron and sulfur substrates, will be inoculated with
Thiobacillus spp.. The resulting transformations in iron
and sulfur metabolites will be followed across time. With a
better understanding of how bacteria transform metals under field
conditions, we may further our knowledge relative to remediation
of these and other pit lakes.
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Kendra Hinxman,
Hometown: Sandpoint,
ID
Research Mentor: Dr.
October Moynahan
Project
Title:
Effects of AM and fertilizer on Echinacea angustifolia.
Project
Description:
Echinacea
angustifolia
is an important native Montana
medicinal plant, but difficult cultivation has resulted in
destructive over-harvesting of many native populations. E.
angustifolia is a widely used medicinal plant, with benefits
ranging from boosting immunity to treating serious skin
conditions. Mycorrhizae, a natural symbiosis between plant roots
and specialized fungi, have been shown to increase plant uptake of
essential nutrients, especially phosphorus. The overall
mycorrhizal benefits can result in increased plant biomass, plant
survival, diversity, and improved soil structure. Unfortunately,
many common farming practices, such as tilling and fertilization,
can inhibit or eliminate mycorrhizae. Few studies have looked
into the effects of this fungal symbiosis as a benefit to this
native medicinal plant, or whether cultivated Echinacea
plants are mycorrhizal.
My proposed research examines effects of arbuscular
mycorrhizae and fertilizer on Echinacea biomass and
physiology (photosynthesis rate and tissue nutrient levels). The
proposed greenhouse experiment will determine whether Echinacea
benefits from mycorrhizae, from fertilizer, and/or from a
combination of both. It will also show whether fertilization
inhibits mycorrhizal colonization of Echinacea roots. I
will also examine Echinacea plants from various Montana
farms to determine whether plants are mycorrhizal under cultivated
conditions. If positive effects are found, the use of natural
mycorrhizal fungi could greatly improve the efficiency of
Echinacea farming practices by improving plant growth and
productivity. This could eventually leading to a less
time-consuming, less costly cultivation, which could prevent
over-harvesting wild Echinacea plants.
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Ramie Vaughn Holmquist,
Hometown:
Bozeman, MT
Research Mentor: Denver
Holt
Project
Title: Northern Saw-whet owl nest-site selection.
Project
Description:
The purpose of
this project is to examine the nest-site and nest-cavity
characteristics for the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius
acadicus). The owls will be located during their breeding
season using a standard nocturnal listening survey developed by
the Owl Research Institute. After locating the nesting sites of
Saw-whet Owls, cavities that were used for nesting as well as
cavities that were not used within a certain distance will be
examined and measured for numerous characteristics. I predict
that the Northern Saw-whet Owl will have a preference for specific
characteristics and hope to determine this through evaluating the
sites that were used verses the sites that were not used. The
characteristics that will be measured include various aspects of
the tree containing the cavity as well as specific qualities of
the cavity itself. To ensure those differences between used and
unused sites are not a result of random chance or sampling error,
a statistical analysis will also be formulated. The significance
of this study is due in part to the limited research that has been
conducted on Northern Saw-whet Owl nest-site selection. With a
greater understanding of specific nest-site preferences,
management of snags could more adequately consider the needs of
the Northern Saw-whet Owl.
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Jennifer Jones,
Hometown: Minot, MN
Research Mentor: Marilyn Marler, U of M Integrated Plant
Management Specialist
Project Title: Are diverse native plant communities less
likely to be invaded by Centaurea maculosa?
Project Description:
Centaurea
maculosa
(spotted knapweed) has become quite a serious problem in many
western states, ejecting wildlife from their habitats and causing
other concerns such as increased soil erosion into the surrounding
watersheds. I am proposing to continue a study that was begun by
IBSCORE fellow Maureen O’Mara in the year 2000 to determine if a
correlation exists between a plant community’s diversity and its
invasibility. That is, does the number or combination of species
in a plant community have anything to do with how easy a foreign
species can overtake the area?
Seventy-two study plots were seeded with various numbers and
combinations of native species in 1998. In 2000, they were then
seeded with knapweed to investigate if either the number of native
species present or a combination of certain species had any
significant correlation with invasion. I will monitor germination
of knapweed plants as well as their survival, growth, and
reproduction to provide a third year of data for this experiment.
At
the end of the study’s first year, no conclusive results were
obtained. The project was continued the next summer as well,
though that data has not yet been analyzed. It is hoped that
continuing the experiment this year will yield more useful and
interesting results combined with those from previous years. This
multi-year study will address the controversial topic of whether
diverse plant communities are less susceptible to invasion by
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Daisuke Mayuzumi,
Hometown: Gumma, Japan
Research Mentor: Dr.
Stephen Lodmell, U of M Professor
Project
Title:
Mapping of Escherichia coli 16s ribosomal RNA
accessible site by extension of random oligonucleotide libraries
with reverse transcriptase.
Project
Description:
The basic
function of the ribosome is transfer RNA (tRNA) selection,
catalysis of peptidyl transfer, and translation of tRNA and
messenger RNA (mRNA). The ribosome is a dynamic molecule on which
conformational changes allow optimal decoding of mRNA and tRNA
selection during protein synthesis. These conformational changes
are believed to occur on Escherichia coli 16S ribosomal RNA
(rRNA) proximal to the mRNA decoding regions on the 30S subunits.
Therefore, the complete elucidation of 16S rRNA accessible sites
is an essential study, because those sites may be on the surface
of the 30S subunits where important interactions with ribosomal
factors may occur. A rapid and simple method for mapping of RNA
accessible sites has been developed. Although targeting RNA
molecules with sequence-specific oligonucleotides is a powerful
technique for mapping of RNA accessible sites, this technique
still has a major problem due to low number of RNA sequences for
oligonucleotide hybridization given by the rich secondary and
tertiary structures of RNA molecules. Therefore, more efficient
approach for mapping RNA accessible sites has been required. The
proposed research would focus on a new experimental technique for
mapping Eschericia coli 16S rRNA accessible sites
using reverse transcription with random oligonucleotide libraries
(RT-ROL). This RT-ROL method is a much more efficient method to
map RNA accessible sites than previous methods, because no RNA
labeling or RNA sequencing is required. Also, this RT-ROL method
could extend various experimental methods to develop RNA
accessible studies, as well as for study of the dynamic process of
protein synthesis.
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Amanda Ng, Hometown:
Bozeman, MT
Research Mentor: Dr.
Scott Samuels
Project
Title:
Development of a genetic system: Construction of a shuttle vector.
Project
Description:
The
spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of
Lyme disease, the most common arthropod-borne disease in the
United States. While bacterial DNA is characterized by a circular
genome, B. burgdorferi has a linear chromosome with
covalently closed hairpin telomeres. This unusual structure
requires novel mechanisms for DNA replication that are not well
understood. Both the parthenogenesis and unusual genome of B.
burgdorferi warrant extensive experimentation, but research is
limited by the techniques for manipulating DNA in B.
burgdorferi. We intend to expand B. burgdorferi
research options with the construction of a new shuttle vector.
In addition, this work will identify origins of replication in the
B. burgdorferi genome, providing new information about
linear DNA replication in bacteria
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Amanda Scholz,
Hometown:
Steptoe, WA
Research Mentor: Dr.
Keith Parker
Project
Title:
Pharmacological properties of Ilex paraguariensis and
Two Brugmansia sp.
Project
Description:
The purpose of
this study is to extract active components from native South and
Central American plant species and then elucidate their
interaction on specific serotonin receptors, namely subclasses
5-HT1 and 5-HT2. Studying potential
antimigraine drugs that are thought to have an effect on serotonin
receptors, such as active components of plant extracts, may lead
to novel headache medications.
The dried leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, commonly
referred to as yerba mate, provide the most popular caffeine drink
in Argentina and many other South American countries. This plant
may have additional benefits aside from the effects of caffeine as
a headache medication. The beneficial effect of caffeine as a
headache treatment is apparently due to its ability to cause
constriction of the cerebral blood vessels and, possibly, to
facilitate the adsorption of other drugs (Tyler 1999). Two
species of the Solanacea family native to Costa Rica,
Brugmansia suaveolens
and Brugmansia
sanguinea, may have active components with neurological
consequences. Few, if any, studies have been conducted to test
the active properties of these plants and their serotonin receptor
responses.
Crude extracts will be taken from each of these three plants
and then tested against specific serotonin receptors. The extracts
will be taken in correspondence with protocols set forth by Dr.
Keith Parker. Studying the interactions of crude extracts on the
serotonin receptors from both human and rat tissues will be
conducted to analyze the potential antagonistic properties of the
experimental plant extracts.
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