Student Researchers

Jessi-Ann Michaelson (Senior Biology Major)

Project:  Energy Investment during Courtship by Male vs. Female Red-Sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophiss sirtalis parietalis)

Past Student Researchers

Keely Corder (Senior Biology Major)

This summer Keely will be studying the effect flight-feather wear on the metabolic rate of hovering and forward flight in hummingbirds.  On May 31, 2010 Keely and I will travel to the University of Montana where we will fly calliope hummingbirds in a wind tunnel to see how much feather wear must occur before there is a metabolic consequence.  This work will provide insight into the importance of flight-feather molt both in terms of timing and duration.  This project is being done in collaboration with Dr. Bret Tobalske.

Ryan Lane (Junior Biology Major)

This summer Ryan will be refining the immunofluorescence (IF) techniques developed last summer by Seth Monson to track expression of aquaporin 1 and 2(AQP1 and AQP2) in rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) tissues.  Ryan will specifically focus on AQP1 and AQP2 expression and localization in the ventral skin through which water must be absorbed when the newts are terrestrial.  In addition he will use Western blotting to isolate and quantify AQP1 and 2 proteins in newts that are acclimatized to both terrestrial and aquatic conditions.  In addition to the molecular studies Ryan will conduct water transport experiments using stable isotopes to see if differences in AQP distribution in terrestrial vs. aquatic newts translate into differences in water absorption rate.