Collaborative Cross-Disciplinary Research in Ecology, Endocrinology, and Molecular Biology

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Thomas Kunz Proposal # DBI - 9988001 Eight research teams, each consisting of one or two undergraduate students and two faculty mentors, will work on different collaborative cross-disciplinary projects. The purpose of Boston University's REU program is to promote collaborative research between students and research biologists whose disciplines have traditionally had a single focus. Each research team includes an organismal biologist (ecologist or ethologist) and an endocrinologist or molecular biologist. Proposed research topics include: the role of leptin in the reproductive biology of mammals, the immune response of termites to pathogens, the role of estrogen in neurodevelopment in fish, neurochemical correlates of caste differences in social insects, genetic population structure in a temperate bat species, social behavior and population genetics structure in Ovenbirds, evolution of the vertebrate genome by phylogenetic analysis of vertebrate isozymes, and programmed cell death during plant development. Faculty mentors have been carefully selected on the basis of their experience and interest in working with undergraduates and on their own scholarly contributions. Five students will be selected from four-year colleges and universities in the eastern United States that provide limited research opportunities, and five students will be selected from a pool of students at Boston University. Recruitment efforts will target minority, women, and physically-challenged students. Selection procedures will be based on scholarly aptitude, research potential, and previous experience of the applicants. A weekly research and ethics seminar will include presentations and discussions on topics ranging from values and integrity in science, reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct, ethical treatment of animals, record keeping and data management, and responsible authorship.