UTPA REU: Adventures in subtropical biology

The latest paper from the UTPA REU program

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 18:25:00 +0000

It took 1,017 days for the journal to publish the paper (that’s over two years), but one more paper has finally been published arising from student research supported by the UTPA REU. It’s nice to have one more addition to add to the “Success stories” on REU Bio website.

The lead author, Jessica Murph, is now pursuing a master’s degree in counseling.

Murph JH, Faulkes Z. 2013. Abundance and size of sand crabs, Lepidopa benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), in South Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist 58(4): 431-434. DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-58.4.431

Abstract

Albuneid sand crabs are found in sandy beaches around the world, but little is known about the basic biology of any species in the family. We sampled sand crabs, Lepidopa benedicti, for 2 years at South Padre Island, Texas, at two locations: one developed site near the town, where recreational use is high and one undeveloped site away from the town, where recreational use is lower. We hypothesized that sand crabs would be less abundant and smaller at the developed site than at the undeveloped one. Densities were highest in summer and lowest in winter but did not differ between the two sites. There was no difference in size of individuals at the two locations. Females were significantly more common and larger than males. No ovigerous female was discovered at either location over 2 years of sampling. Individuals at South Padre Island are consistently smaller than those recorded from the northern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, suggesting the region might have habitat that is low quality for the species.

Still producing! New UTPA REU paper

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Even though the REU program at UTPA officially ended at the end of summer in 2010, there is still work coming out from students who were in that program. The newest is a paper in Journal of Parasitology, co-authored by Ashley Longoria, who was in the second cohort of the program.

Fredensborg BL, Longoria AN. 2012. Increased surfacing behavior in longnose killifish infected by brain-encysting trematode. Journal of Parasitology 98(5): 899-903. DOI: 10.1645/GE-3170.1

Abstract

Some parasites modify the behavior of intermediate hosts to increase the probability of transmission to the next host in their life cycle. In habitats where this is common, parasites play an important role in predator-prey links and food web dynamics. In this study we used laboratory observations to investigate the behavior of longnose killifish, Fundulus similis, that were naturally infected with metacercariae of the trematode, Euhaplorchis sp. A, from Laguna Madre, south Texas. In particular, we examined whether there was a relationship between the number of metacercariae lodged on the brain of the infected fish and behaviors that made the fish more conspicuous to avian final hosts. We also quantified the abundance and cercariae production of this parasite in its first intermediate snail host, Cerithidea pliculosa, and examined the seasonal variation of Euhaplorchis sp. A in F. similis. Our data demonstrated that Euhaplorchis sp. A affected the surfacing behavior of F. similis in an intensity-dependent manner. Fish with many infections spent longer time at the surface of the water than fish with few infections. Our data also show that Euhaplorchis sp. A is a common parasite in the first intermediate host and produces close to 4,000 cercariae m⁻² day⁻¹. Consequently 97% of all fish collected and necropsied were infected, with little seasonal variation in the mean abundance of the parasite. Based on our data, Euhaplorchis sp. A is likely important to predator-prey links in Gulf of Mexico estuary food webs, similar to the closely related Euhaplorchis californiensis in southern California. We expect that other closely related species elsewhere may have similar effects on other fish hosts, emphasizing the need for incorporating trophically transmitted parasites in estuarine food web studies.

After the program

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Here’s a quick update on some of the activities of our students since leaving the program.

Cassandra Rivas (2007-2008) and Amery Yang (2008-2009) are both pursuing graduate degrees.

Stephanie Jimenez (2008-2009) recently published a peer reviewed paper based on her REU work.

Jimenez SA, Faulkes Z. 2011. Can the parthenogenetic marbled crayfish Marmorkrebs compete with other crayfish species in fights? Journal of Ethology 29(1): 115-120. DOI: 10.1007/s10164-010-0232-2

Abstract

The parthenogenetic marbled crayfish, Marmorkrebs, has no known wild population, but has been introduced into natural ecosystems in two continents. Interactions with native crayfish, particularly through fighting, could affect the ecological impact of Marmorkrebs introductions. Marmorkrebs have been characterized anecdotally as having low levels of aggression, which could mitigate their potential to compete with native species. We isolated Marmorkrebs and Louisiana red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), then conducted size-matched intra- and interspecific pairings. Marmorkrebs were as likely to win a fight as P. clarkii, although contests between P. clarkii and Marmorkrebs were significantly faster to begin than contests between two Marmorkrebs. These results suggests that Marmorkrebs have the potential to compete with other species on the same level as P. clarkii, which is itself a highly successful introduced species around the world.

Keywords: aggression • crayfish • competition • invasive species • marbled crayfish • Marmorkrebs • Louisiana red swamp crayfish • Procambarus clarkii

UTPA REU application for Summer 2010 now live

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:47:00 +0000

The UTPA REU application form is now available here. Some of the form material still needs to be updated, notably the application deadline! It's 3 May 2010. Currently, we are planning on recruiting one student for this summer.

Kawaii is, perhaps, not the impression you want to make

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:05:00 +0000

More tips for applying to programs from Bug Girl’s Blog. Includes this classic piece of advice:

Do not print your cover letter for an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates on Hello Kitty paper.

Seriously.

Had it not also come with transcripts attached, I’d think some of you were just messing with me.

Woods Hole REU

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:38:00 +0000

The institution: Marine Biological Laboratory

The program: Each undergraduate student will be placed in the laboratory of an MBL research scientist and fully participate in all laboratory exercises and activities. The program will provide a stipend of approximately $4,000 to each student, and room and board for 10 weeks. The program will run from 13 June through 21 August 2010.

Eligibility: Highly motivated rising sophomore and junior students.

Application deadline: 1 April 2010

More information: http://www.mbl.edu/education/courses/other_programs/reu.html

Bioenergy REU

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:59:00 +0000

The institution: South Dakota State University

The program: This new interdisciplinary REU site will allow 10 undergraduate students in plant science, chemistry, biology or engineering to learn research skills and to participate in unique research experiences related to biofuels and bioenergy crops. The research projects are divided into three areas: feedstock development, environmental sustainability, and bioprocessing.

31 May 31 - 6 August 2010
$460/week, paid on-campus housing, food allowance, travel expenses

Eligibility:

US citizenship or permanent resident
Declared major related to the project of interest
Sophomore year completed by 31 May 2010
Interest in research in an multidisciplinary environment.

Application deadline: 15 April 2010

More information: Visit http://biomicro.sdstate.edu/reu_bioenergy or email Dr. Heike Bucking

One slot!

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:18:00 +0000

There will be one slot available for a student to join the UTPA REU program this summer.

The application deadline is to be announced, but will probably be around mid- April. Questions can be emailed to Zen Faulkes in the meantime.

Dengue infection research

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:30:00 +0000

The institution: The University of Texas-Pan American

The program: Dengue infection rates along the U.S./Mexico border are drastically (many orders of magnitude) lower on the American side, and Dr. Chris Vitek will be looking into possible reasons. Dr. Vitek will be hiring two students this summer.

The summer employment will consist of collecting field specimens, identifying locations of high mosquito activity (the specific vectors of Dengue), lab work to identify mosquitoes, and conducting surveys to assess local exposure to the disease vectors.

$1,500 pay.
20 hours of work per week.
Travel to Louisiana State University for 3 to 5 days this summer.

Eligibility:

Students must be a current UTPA student, but they do not have to be registered for the summer.
Students must have access to a vehicle and a valid driver’s license.
Previous research experience, collecting experience, or entomology experience (or class work) is not required but beneficial.

Application deadline: Until filled

More information: Email vitekc@utpa.edu

Purdue SURF 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:42:00 +0000

The institution: Purdue University

The program:

24 May — 6 August 2010
Hands-on research experience for undergraduates
Faculty & graduate student mentorship
Research & professional development seminars
$3600 + travel + housing
Graduate school preparation
Social activities with other researchers

More information: http://www.purdue.edu/surf

Subject! Verb! Object!

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:59:00 +0000

Here’s a quick pair of suggestions on how not to get your application taken out of the pile.

Finding a research opportunity on your own campus

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I’ve been finding a lot of students have no idea how to go about finding out about research opportunities. So, here’s one for you students.

Clear out some time. If a prof’s door is open, knock and ask if you can come in. If you’re too intimidated by dropping in, email and ask for an appointment. Once you get in the office, ask this magic question:

“Could you tell me a bit about your research?”

Be ready for a loooooong conversation. Because the truth is, not very many people ask about our research, so to have anyone showing any sort of interest is something we enjoy. Heck, very often even our own colleagues don’t ask what we’re working on most of the time.

That conversation can totally change the tone of your dialogue with your professor – in a good way – for a long time. Think about it. Which conversation do you think a professor would rather have?

“Can you tell me about your research?”

versus some variation of:

“Can you sign this form?”
“Can you calculate my best possible grade for your class?”
“Can I take a make-up exam?”

Which conversation do you think a prof would rather have? And which conversation do you think a prof has more often?

Cancer Prevention Education: Student Research Experiences

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:26:00 +0000

The institution: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas

The program: The “Cancer Prevention Education: Student Research Experiences” program is designed to encourage undergraduate students to pursue research careers by exposing them to mentored hands-on research experiences early in their academic career. Students will work in a research environment with extensive epidemiologic, laboratory and clinical facilities under the supervision of an established investigator on the faculty of M. D. Anderson, as well as attend seminars and lectures. Students are immersed in the type of cross-disciplinary research environment typical of cancer prevention and control research, with opportunities for studying epidemiology (including molecular and genetic epidemiology), behavioral science, clinical cancer prevention, health disparities and other prevention-related disciplines. Based on their interests, successful applicants will be paired with an appropriate faculty mentor for the duration of the research experience. Students will be expected to devote full-time effort to this research experience.

A total of eight students will be selected to participate in the 12-week program. While most students will participate during the summer, opportunities for these research experiences may be available at other times during the year.

Participants in the program receive a stipend of up to $2,166 per month for the three-month period.

Eligibility: Students must have either (a) completed their sophomore or junior year and be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program classified as a junior or senior by September 2010, or (b) completed their undergraduate degree (no earlier than December 2009) and be accepted to start a graduate program by September 2010. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applicants with visas are not eligible. Students who are members of groups historically underrepresented in the sciences (African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) as well as those who are the first in their family of origin to attend college are especially encouraged to apply. The Advisory Committee selects students based on the applicant’s record of scholastic achievement, aptitude for science and interest in cancer prevention.

Deadline: 3 March 2010

More information: http://www.cancerpreventiontraining.org

Post-baccalaureate Research and Education Program (PREP)

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:15:00 +0000

The institution: University of New Mexico

The program: We are seeking recent (or May 2010) graduates in biochemistry, biology, chemical and nuclear engineering, chemistry, computer Science, physics, psychology, and related fields. The program is an intensive one-year paid program. In addition to lab research, scholars will:

Prepare and take the GRE
Seek and apply to Biomedical graduate programs
Attend professional meetings
Enroll in a Research Ethics course
Present research
Attend weekly meetings
Attend seminars

Eligibility:

U.S. citizen or permanent resident
3.0 GPA
Be a member of an under-represented group in biomedical research
Received Bachelor’s degree within the 36 months before start of program
Be committed to pursuing a Ph.D. in a biomedical research field
Demonstrated need to complete an additional year of training before applying to graduate school

Application deadline: No official deadline, but 12 March 2010 is encouraged.

More information: Patty Banuelos at prep@unm.edu, or visit http://biology.unm.edu/prep

Pollination Biology REU

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:17:00 +0000

The institution: Oregon State University

The program:

10 week program
$4,500 stipend
Students rotate between a dryland prairie in northeast Oregon, a forest ecosystem in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and agricultural landscapes in western Oregon

Requirements: Outstanding students in biological science-related majors who are currently in their sophomore or junior year of undergraduate study are eligible. NSF requires that participants are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and its territories.

Application deadline: 15 March 2010

More information: http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/REU

Neuroscience internships

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0000

For those interested in brains, check out this list of undergraduate internships.

Field Experiences in South Texas Coastal Dynamics

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:30:00 +0000

The institution: University of Texas Marine Science Institute

The program: Each student will work with a faculty mentor on topics such as:
biogeochemistry; watershed processes; estuarine ecology; food web relationships; zooplankton ecology; fish reproductive physiology.

2 June – 11 August 2010
$4,500 stipend
Full room and board
Research allowance
Travel allowance

Eligibility:

Deadline: 16 February 2010

More information: http://reu.utmsi.utexas.edu

Caltech Amgen Scholars program

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:52:00 +0000

The institution: California Institute of Technology

The program: Caltech's Amgen Scholars Program is geared towards students in biology,chemistry, and biotechnology fields. Some of these fields include biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, and chemistry.

$5,500 award
Round-trip airfare
Housing and food allowances

Eligibility:

Sophomores through non-graduating seniors
Attending a four-year university
U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Minimum GPA of 3.2.

Application deadline: 16 February 2010.

More information: http://www.amgenscholars.caltech.edu

Remember, spelling counts!

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:50:00 +0000

From Bug_Girl, who scores points for writing, “Egad.”

Louisiana State University undergrad summer research

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:19:00 +0000

The institution: Louisiana State University

The program:

$3,500 stipend and program housing
31 May – 30 July 2010
University credit

Application deadline: 10 February 2010

More information: Email Sheri Wischusen at hhmi@lsu.edu or visit http://www.biology.lsu.edu/hhmiprog/undergrad/

Applying the right way

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:06:00 +0000

A job opening at the Gamasutra website generated a rant from one of the poor souls having to read job applications. For instance:

(P)lease make it seem like you care who we are, you have done the most basic research(.) Like, make the application to US, not some generic blurb you have sent out 100 times already.

There is a lot of rock solid advice there that you should think about when applying to research programs!

MHIRT program at Christian Brothers University

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:28:00 +0000

The institution: Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee

The program:

Research sites in Brazil, Uganda, and Thailand
10 weeks
All travel, room and board, preparation, and workshops expenses paid
Stipend

Eligibility: U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Deadline: 29 January 2010.

More information: http://www.cbu.edu/mhirt

QEM / NSF summer internship

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:33:00 +0000

The institution: Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network and National Science Foundation

The program:

Placements in Washington, DC area
1 June - 6 August 2010
$3,000 stipend for undergraduates
Round-trip airfare
Assistance with local transportation costs
Summer housing on a local college campus

Eligibility:

U.S. citizen
Junior or senior undergraduate, or graduate student
Currently enrolled in a science or engineering degree program

Deadline: 12 February 2010.

More information: Visit http://qemnetwork.qem.org/internship.htm.

2010: The year we are renewed?

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:53:00 +0000

I’ve been receiving emails already asking about the UTPA REU program for summer 2010.

We don’t know if we will have any new students in the program this year.

This program is funded by the National Science Foundation, and our current grant is ending this year. We have submitted a proposal to continue our program for several more years, but do not expect to hear any word on the next round of reviews until sometime in late winter or early spring.

If our program does continue, we’ll be sure to let you know. Trust me. We will not be quiet about it.

Northwestern University materials science REU program

noreply@blogger.com (Zen Faulkes) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:06:00 +0000

The institution: Northwestern University

The program:

21 June to 20 August 2009
$4,000 stipend
On-campus housing
Research areas includes biomaterials, polymers, nanocomposites, photonics, nanoparticles, molecular electronics, ceramics

Eligibility: Students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in science or engineering who are US citizens or permanent residents are eligible.

Deadline: 15 February 2009

More information: http://www.mrsec.northwestern.edu/content/educational_programs/reu.htm or email Martha Tanner at mrc@northwestern.edu.