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Introduction
A
list of Research Mentors and Research Projects for both BIOL4500 and STEC4500 is found below. Please
contact the mentor to discuss the project before registering for the
Undergraduate Research Course.
What to expect
Please check out the syllabus for BIOL4500. It will give you an idea of the general expectations for your project, regardless of mentor.
How to Register
Look at the list of available projects below. When you find an research mentor and project that interest you, you must first contact the research mentor to confirm availability for that project. If the student and mentor agree on a project, then the research mentor must email Betty Wood in the Dean's office, who can override permission to allow the student to register for the Course. The student can then register on Banner. Please keep your academic advisor informed on your registration.
For Summer of 2008, students can register for the Biology Undergraduate Research Course, BIOL4500. Beginning in the Fall of 2008, the course number will be STEC4500. This will allow access for students throughout the School of Science and Technology to projects in all disciplines of the School.
Please note that the times at which research is actually performed must be negotiated between mentor and student.
Mentors and Projects
Click on the Mentor's name to skip down to detailed descriptions of the projects.
1. Viral Genome Sequencing and Evolution
1. Biological and Chemical Monitoring of the Upper Yellow River. (In collaboration with Dr. Bagie George and Dr. Mark Schlueter)
2. Sediment Transport and Siltation in the Upper Yellow River.
3. Development of a Chemical Perturbation Index for Local Streams.
4. Development of a Model to Estimate Surface Area of River Stones in the Field.
5. Survey of Birds on the GGC Campus
Feeding Preferences and Behaviors of Georgia Crayfish Species
1. Feeding preference experiment.
2. Habitat preference experiment.
3. Temperature preference experiment.
1. Soy bean effects on the solubility of copper in aqueous solution
2. Biodegradation of natural products.
3. Lead content in commercial products.
Project Details
Viral Genome Sequencing and Evolution
Students will study the evolution of viral genomes by determining the
DNA sequence of bacteriophage genomes related to T4. Students will make
generate DNA templates and perform DNA sequencing reactions on them.
Additional regions of the genome will be amplified and sequenced using
PCR. Students will use computer programs to assemble sequences and
compare them to known genomes in order to identify genes that have been
acquired or lost in the viral DNA.
1. Biological and Chemical Monitoring of the Upper Yellow River. (In collaboration with Dr. Bagie George and Dr. Mark Schlueter)
Aquatic insects are good indicators of water quality in streams and
rivers because they live in the water - they are exposed to the
physical and chemical features of the water every day of their aquatic
life. As part of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's
Adopt-A-Stream program, the types of aquatic insects and chemical
analysis of stream water will be used to assess current conditions and
monitor long-term changes in water quality in the upper Yellow River
adjacent to the GGC campus. This research will involve field
collections of aquatic insects and water samples, and subsequent
identification and analysis in the lab.
2. Sediment Transport and Siltation in the Upper Yellow River.
Sedimentation (siltation) is the most common cause of habitat and water
quality degradation in streams and rivers in the United States. This
project will measure rates of sediment transport and sedimentation in
the Yellow River adjacent to the GGC campus to assess current
conditions and monitor long-term changes as construction and
development of the GGC campus expands. This project will involve
collecting water samples for analysis of suspended silt and deploying
sediment traps in the stream to measure rate of siltation.
3. Development of a Chemical Perturbation Index for Local Streams.
Streams and rivers are the primary receivers of wastewaters and run off
from human activities, such as discharges from wastewater treatment
plants and industrial operations and runoff from agricultural fields,
residential areas, golf courses, and waste disposal sites. The rapid
urbanization of formerly rural areas surrounding the metro-Atlanta area
will place greater demands on streams and rivers to provide "clean "
water for consumptive use (withdraws for drinking,
industrial/manufacturing, agriculture) and absorb larger quantities of
wastewaters, while also protecting water quality for propagation of
wildlife. A chemical perturbation index (CPI), based on
statistically-correlated properties of water, will be developed to
assess current conditions and monitor long-term changes in stream water
quality in metro-Atlanta area rivers and streams. This research will
involve collecting water samples from streams and rivers and performing
simple chemical tests in the lab.
4. Development of a Model to Estimate Surface Area of River Stones in the Field.
Stones are a natural habitat unit for insects and algae that live in
stony-bottomed streams. The most widely used method for estimating the
surface area of river stones (in order to calculate organism density)
requires returning the stones to the lab and tediously wrapping a stone
in aluminum foil (the foil method). A technique that could reliably
and accurate estimate surface area of stones in the field would reduce
processing time in the lab. This project will involve collecting
bottom stones from several streams and rivers in north Georgia and
estimating their surface area by foiling. Stone weight and
displacement volume will also be measured (both of these parameters can
be measured in the field easily). Regression analysis will be used to
determine which parameter - stone weight or displacement volume - is
the best predictor of surface area. Regression models for each stream
will be statistically compared to determine whether a general
relationship exists that could be used for any stream.
5. Survey of Birds on the GGC Campus
Birds are the most common non-domesticated vertebrates that people see
everyday, they are easy to identify with training and experience, and
they are indicators of the ecological integrity of the environment.
These characteristics make birds ideal candidates for assessing current
environmental conditions and monitoring long-term changes in
environmental quality. The impending rapid, large-scale build-out
(development) of the GGC campus over the next five years presents an
opportunity to examine how dramatic changes in the campus environment
(habitat change) affect the diversity, abundance, and nesting of
birds. This project will involve field census of birds at various
locations on campus, both developed and presently undeveloped locations.
Feeding Preferences and Behaviors of Georgia Crayfish Species
Students will collect crayfish from local streams. Students will then
use keys to determine the species collected; potentially even identify
a new species. Dr. Schlueter and the students will then design several
feeding and behavior experiments. Here are just a few of many possible
experiments.
1. Feeding preference experiment.
We will determine which foods crayfish like to eat (plant material or
worms or insect larvae ect.). This experiment could be repeated for
each different crayfish species. Do crayfish species eat the same or
different things? Basically do they compete for the same food
resources? If they compete, which crayfish species is superior?
2. Habitat preference experiment.
We will determine which habitat crayfish prefer to live in or under
(big rocks, small rocks, tree roots, vegetation clumps, ect.) This
experiment could be repeated for each different crayfish species. Do
crayfish species prefer the same habitat? Basically do they compete
for the same habitat resources? If they compete, which crayfish
species is superior? We could also examine the spatial dynamics, for
instance do they have a clumped, random, or uniformed distribution in
the habitat.
3. Temperature preference experiment.
We will determine temperature preference of different crayfish
species. Also, we will measure the minimum and maximum temperature
that each species of crayfish can survive (physiological death not
mortality.) This is a great experiment for students interested in
physiology.
Dr. Schlueters research is designed so that a student can spend one
semester or summer performing experiments and gathering data. Then the
following semester, the student will present the experiment at a
scientific conference.
Chulsing Kim (email)
1. Soy bean effects on the solubility of copper in aqueous solution
The peptide bonds in many leguminous plants have potentials to build
metal complexes resulting in the increase of solubility. The study will
focus on the solubility of changes as a function of pH in the presence
of soy beans. The potential available bonding sites will be determined
using organic nitrogen method and the atomic absorption spectrometer
will be used to determine the copper concentration in the aqueous
solution.
2. Biodegradation of natural products.
Various natural products will be studied in order to investigate the
rate of biodegradation in wide temperature range. Carbon dioxide
production rate as well as oxygen consumption rate will be determined
as a function of time. Students will evaluate the optimum temperature
and humidity for biodegradation of various natural products.
3. Lead contents in commercial products.
It has been concerned that many coated materials are high lead contents
threatening health of many children. The research will investigate the
lead contents in various toys as well as household products. Lead
contents will be determined following EPA methods using atomic
absorption spectroscopy.
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