- Program Information
- Department Honors Program
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- Summer Research Program
- Undergraduate Bulletin
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Please note: Our 2022 Summer Research Program will be for Marquette undergraduate students only. We will not be hosting an NSF-REU program in 2022 and are not accepting applicants from universities outside of Marquette.
The 2022 application is now closed.
The Department of Biological Sciences will host a Summer Research Program in 2022. The 10-week program will run from May 31 to August 5, with a one-week break over the 4th of July.
Students will develop a deeper understanding of the pace, demands, and thrill of scientific research through independent projects, guided by faculty mentors. Participating faculty mentors can be found under the Summer Research Mentors tab.
Research areas include: microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, genetics, neurobiology, invertebrate/vertebrate physiology, and ecology.
Students in the SRP....
Participation in the Summer Research Program is a full-time obligation. Students may not enroll in classes or hold outside employment during the program.
Applicants should have completed their sophomore or junior year by the start of the program with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students who graduate before December 2022 are not eligible.
Minimum course requirements:
The application for Summer 2022 is now closed.
What are the benefits of independent undergraduate research?
To be science literate in the 21st century, textbooks and classes are not enough. Our undergraduate research programs offer exemplary opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the process of scientific discovery. By joining a research team, you will learn to critically read scientific literature, to formulate hypotheses, and to design and carry out experiments to test the validity of your hypotheses. In short, you will experience firsthand what it means to do scientific research.
How do I choose a research topic?
Start by reviewing the descriptions of each faculty member's research under the Summer Research Mentors tab. We have a formal process designed to match interested student researchers and potential research mentors for the summer research program through personal interviews. In addition, many students discover research opportunities by word-of-mouth or by informally approaching individual faculty.
How much interaction will I have with my mentor?
Most faculty in Biological Sciences work in their laboratories during the summer, advancing their research. Faculty members participating in the undergraduate summer research program personally guide students admitted to their laboratory.
What are the requirements to participate in the SRP?
Students must have completed their sophomore or junior year to enroll and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Minimum course requirements:
What is the difference between the summer research program and a laboratory class? What input will I have in the research process?
In the summer research program, you will be attempting a project where the outcome is unknown. You will get a taste of both the excitement and frustration of scientific research. Once immersed in the research project, you will find that seemingly disparate concepts taught in several courses connect to produce a coherent picture for a research goal. If you are to advance your project, you must become a problem solver and an independent learner. You will be guided in this effort by frequent discussions with your mentor and with the other members of the research group.
How does the summer research program work?
Step 1: Designing the project. Usually, the faculty mentor will have a project in mind that is of appropriate scope for undergraduate research. The faculty member will explain the background and assign some pertinent readings. In the beginning, the student will receive explicit suggestions on how to begin. The student will have increasing input in the design of experiments as the project evolves.
Step 2: Research. The student will be assigned space and resources in the research lab. They will be provided with protocols and advice as needed by more experienced members of the research group. Expect some surprises! The data obtained in original research often do not support the hypothesis. Students will attempt to figure out what the data means, formulate new hypotheses, and design the experiments to test them.
Step 3: Presentation of results. Students will present the results of their research at the end of the summer in both a poster session and a symposium featuring undergraduate research.
Related Activities: A number of activities are planned to enrich the summer research experience and advance the skills of the participants, including:
Do I receive a stipend or funding during the SRP?
Students selected to participate in our undergraduate summer research program receive a 10-week stipend.
Allison L. Abbott: Work in the Abbott lab focuses on the function of microRNA genes in elegans. Recent work has focused on the function of the mir-44 family in gamete formation and function and has identified a role for this family of microRNAs in the sperm to oocyte switch in hermaphrodites. Additionally, ongoing work is focused on identifying microRNAs expressed in the male and hermaphrodite germline. We will use the collections of nematodes from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center housed at the University of Minnesota and the Caenorhabditis Natural Diversity Resource housed at Northwestern University to perform comparative functional analysis of microRNA genes in sperm specification.
Deanna Arble: The Arble laboratory uses preclinical animal models to study the neuronal links between sleep, circadian disruption, and metabolism with the long term goal of developing novel therapies for obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
Chelsea Cook: The Cook lab takes a holistic approach to understand social behavior. We aim to explain why and how collective behavior occurs at every level; from the collective, to individual behavior, to the physiology and genetics of the individual. Ecological context is critical for understanding social behaviors, so we also explore the environmental conditions that elicit many social behaviors, such as the need for food or a change in temperature. Honey bees are an excellent model system to explore questions about collective behavior. Honey bees perform many collective behaviors, including foraging and thermoregulation. Individual honey bees are incredibly smart and can be trained just like dogs! The mechanisms of behavior are well defined in honey bees, and the genome is well mapped. Finally, honey bee colonies exist in many different environments, which allows for us to understand the ecological importance of collective behaviors, and how information may be communicated as environmental conditions shift.
Tony Gamble: Research in the Gamble lab examines the developmental and evolutionary processes that generate biological diversity. In particular, we focus on three complementary topics: 1) the evolution of sex chromosomes and sex determining mechanisms – using genomic and molecular genetic tools; 2) the evolution of novel morphologies related to locomotion – using genomic and developmental approaches; and 3) the spatial and historical aspects of species diversification – using tools from phylogenetics and biogeography. Studying these processes in a single model clade (lizards and snake) presents an unparalleled opportunity to understand the complex origins of biological diversity.
Krassimira Hristova: Research in the Hristova lab addresses fundamental questions in microbial ecology of freshwater ecosystems and the link between impaired ecosystem services and human health. The research is based on key concepts and emerging trends in molecular and environmental microbiology to support research experiences in environmental toxicology, antimicrobial resistance, and biodegradation of pollutants. Recent projects include studying the impact of non-source pollution from agricultural practices on water quality and antibiotic resistance; understanding the impact of urban pollution on Lake Michigan nearshore ecosystem health; studying the mechanisms and interactions of heavy metals and engineered nanoparticles with eukaryotic cells; and evaluating the impact of recycled concrete materials on stream microbial communities and aquatic organisms. Data collection includes field data, environmental samples, and lab experimental data as well as metagenome sequencing and transcriptome data.
Nate Lemoine: Research in the Lemoine Lab uses theory, lab experiments, and field surveys to understand the consequences of global change on natural communities and ecosystems. Specifically, we use insect communities as model organisms to understand how rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns will affect trophic interactions. Recent research includes theoretical models of population dynamics and stability, laboratory experiments assessing how drought affects allelopathic interactions among plant species, field experiments examining the role of insects in nutrient cycling of semi-arid grasslands in the Western US, and ecophysiological consequences of drought. Our work uses numerous different methods, including geospatial analyses of existing data, laboratory experiments, field surveys, and working with museum collections.
Chris Marshall: Research in the Marshall lab addresses two grand challenges in science: evolution of antimicrobial resistance and quantifying global biogeochemical cycling. In the first, we are interested in how diversity and metabolic changes in biofilms contribute to the alarming and expanding problem of antibiotic resistance. In the second, we study anaerobic metabolisms associated with biogeochemical cycles as a biotechnological and ecological source of innovation. Microbial ecology and evolution mediated by metabolic feedback lie at the core of each of these challenges. Insights into diversification, resilience, resource competition, and cooperation in one system (environment) can inform another (host). As part of our everyday workflow, we use culture collections (ATCC, USDA ARS Culture Collection) to deposit or acquire novel microorganisms, sequence genomes/metagenomes, and deposit sequences to the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA).
Michelle Mynlieff: Intracellular calcium concentration is crucial in controlling many aspects of neuronal function including regulation of neurotransmitter release and activation/inactivation of various genes and enzymes. One of the main sources of increasing calcium concentration is by influx through calcium channels that open in response to changes in voltage (voltage dependent calcium channels). Thus, modulation of calcium channels is a prime mechanism by which neurotransmitters can regulate neuronal function. The main interest in my laboratory is in the modulation of these channels. More specifically, the current research program is investigating the mechanisms and functional significance of GABAB receptor modulation of voltage dependent calcium channels in the hippocampal brain region.
Lisa Petrella: Work in the Petrella lab focuses on understanding how organisms respond to environmental changes and how those responses evolve. One of the main research projects in the lab is to understand the mechanisms that breakdown leading to sterility when organisms are exposed to elevated temperatures. Temperature sensitive sterility is conserved across many organisms from invertebrates to mammals. We study these processes using wild-type Caenorhabditis nematode natural isolates, including elegans, C. briggsae, and several other more newly described species. Our current research is analyzing the temperature thresholds of fertility for both different species and different isolates of the same species from around the world. We take advantage of extensive collections of nematodes from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center housed at the University of Minnesota and the Caenorhabditis Natural Diversity Resource housed at NorthwesternUniversity.
Michael Schlappi: Research in the Schlappi lab primarily addresses the mechanisms of cold stress tolerance responses in rice and other plants. These mechanisms are investigated using genome wide association study (GWAS) mapping of cold tolerance quantitative trait loci (QTL), bi-parental QTL mapping, RNAseq-mediated gene expression profiling of the cold response, and functional genomics studies involving CRISPR-mediated gene knockout and parallel gene overexpression approaches for hypothesis testing. This rice research is collections based via DNA and RNA sequence depositions to public databases. As part of planned REU pilot projects, students will additionally collect specimens of wild rice near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and deposit them to the Wisconsin State Herbarium. Seeds of those plants will be maintained in the Schlappi lab, and REU students will determine whether the collected wild rice varieties are suitable for reintroduction into Milwaukee rivers.
Stefan Schnitzer: The main focus of the research in the Schnitzer lab is to determine the mechanisms that maintain plant species diversity and explain plant distributions along broad environmental gradients. The vast majority of this research is conducted in tropical forests, using lianas as a model to test these basic ecological research questions. Recent work includes determining the functional basis of liana resource competition, comparing multiple mechanisms that maintain liana species diversity and contrasting these mechanisms with those that maintain tree species diversity, testing a mechanistic hypothesis to explain liana distribution along a steep rainfall gradient, and testing whether lianas maintain tree species diversity.
Emily Sontag: The Sontag Lab utilizes microscopy and biochemistry techniques to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cellular stress responses to misfolded proteins and their role in disease. Neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases), cancer, and even aging are all linked to protein misfolding. A major goal of the lab is to better understand how the cell responds to misfolded proteins, so that we can learn what goes wrong during disease and develop new therapeutic strategies to treat these disorders.
Martin St. Maurice: Work in my laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular basis for catalysis and allosteric regulation in an important group of metabolic enzymes: the biotin-dependent carboxylases. Dysfunction in these enzymes can lead to genetically inherited disorders that range from benign to severe. In addition, these enzymes offer important targets for the treatment of obesity and type-2 diabetes. The primary goal of my research program is to characterize the mechanism of allosteric control and the molecular basis for catalysis in biotin-dependent carboxylases using X-ray crystallography and steady-state kinetic analyses.
Jennifer Zaspel (MPM): Research in the Zaspel lab is focused on the evolution of communication systems and host associations in insects. The overarching goal of her program is to reconstruct the evolutionary history of feeding behaviors, mating strategies, and chemical defense. Our research uses metabolomic, genomic and transcriptomic approaches to reconstruct phylogenetic trees for species that feed on a broad range of hosts such as lichens, toxic plants, and vertebrate animals, clarifying origins of host specialization and chemical sequestration in different groups of insects. We also investigate the molecular and environmental mechanisms that influence host switching in insects that feed on blood and in some cases, vector human and animal diseases. The collections-based portion of Zaspel’s research involves revisionary systematics, specimen informatics, and advanced digitization of biological collections.
MCO4: a gene Necessary for Synthesis of the Peritrophic Matrix and Normal Larval Development in Drosophila melanogaster.
Kevin Aumiller, SUNY Fredonia. Mentor: Ed Blumenthal
Drop-Dead (drd) and Fatty Acid Transport Protein (Fatp) in Drosophila melanogaster.
Martha Avila-Zavala, Whittier College. Mentor: Ed Blumenthal
Detecting transitions between sex chromosome systems in bent-toed geckos, Cyrtodactylus.
Madison Blumer, Scripps College. Mentor: Tony Gamble
Purification of a Mutant Form of Human Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 6.
Ryan Burd, Marquette University. Mentor: Sophia Origanti
mir-44/45 regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway.
Matt Cavanaugh, Marquette University. Mentor: Allison Abbott
Effect of single post translational modification in large RPA complex.
Amorina Cruz, Alverno College. Mentor: Edwin Antony
Identification of genes and pathways regulated by the miR-44 family in C. elegans.
Kelly Enriquez, Marquette University. Mentor: Allison Abbott
Characterizing drd Expression in the Epidermal Cells of Drosophila melanogaster.
Nate Fischer, Marquette University. Mentor: Ed Blumenthal
Testing the ability of LIN-15B and LIN-35 to repress the opposite gene’s expression.
Carlos Gonzalez, Marquette University. Mentor: Lisa Petrella
Optimizing Visualization of Flagellar Proteins in Live Cells.
Gwen Jones, Normandale Community College. Mentor: Pinfen Yang
mir-52 is necessary for male fertility in C. elegans.
Madison Lucas, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Mentor: Allison Abbott
The Relationship Between ATG Genes and Prion Clearance.
Mitch Oddo, Marquette University. Mentor: Anita Manogaran
Hsp104 and Heat Stress--Implications for Disassembling Transthyretin Aggregation.
Jake Reilly, Marquette University. Mentor: Anita Manogaran
Low Mg2+ solution induces seizure-like activity in hippocampal slices from male and female neonatal rats.
Carlos Roman Santiago, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Mentor: Michelle Mynlieff
Polarity of Rad52 Plays Fundamental Role in Assembly of the Homologous Recombination Protein Complex.
Emma Tillison, Marquette University. Mentor: Edwin Antony
Analysis of sex myoblast migration in mir-44/45 C. elegans mutants.
Julia Theiss, Scripps College. Mentor: Allison Abbott
Additional Sup35 Reduces DMSO Mediated Curing in Weak [PSI+].
Mariela Vega, CSU Sacramento. Mentor: Anita Manogaran
Patterns of apoptosis in embryonic Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) limbs differ between developmental stages.
Amelia Zietlow, Carthage College. Mentor: Tony Gamble
Optimizing transfection conditions to express eIF6 in mammary epithelial cells.
Lauren Klein, University of Notre Dame. Mentor: Sofia Origanti
While research is the number one attraction, the Marquette University summer research program provides many other activities for program participants, including research seminars, journal clubs, and frequent social gatherings.
There are many opportunities for planned and unplanned outings and excursion. Summertime in Milwaukee provides many opportunities for entertainment, with an almost continuous program of ethnic festivals, lakefront festivals (such as Summerfest), musical and theatre attractions, and outdoor activities, including sailing on Lake Michigan.
While you will be spending most of your time in the Wehr Life Sciences Building, all work and no play will make you dull and cranky. To prevent that, the Brew City offers a plethora of activities to keep you fresh and alive.
Here are just some of the many things you can do in Milwaukee during the summer:
When you're in Milwaukee, you've got the best of both worlds — a big city with a small town feel.
Application Questions: | Program Questions: |
Ms. Deborah Weaver |
Dr. Tony Gamble Or Dr. Stacia Peiffer |