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undergraduate research at NKU

While undergraduate instruction is our major thrust, the Department of Biological Sciences also places great emphasis on undergraduate research.   In fact, undergraduate research has become one of the defining characteristics of our Department.  During the past several years, this has resulted in a large number of students working with members of the faculty on a wide variety of research projects.  Students write grant proposals to support their research efforts, make presentations at state, regional, and national meetings such as those of the Kentucky Academy of Science, Beta Beta Beta, and the annual “Poster’s on the Hill” event sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research in Washington D. C.   Many students receive support for their equipment, supplies, etc. through a wide variety of small grants available for undergraduate research through our Department or from the University. Many students receive summer stipends to support their research activities.

Take a look at our students' involvement with the 

Kentucky Academy of Science 2004 Annual Meeting

Several examples of past research projects involving the faculty and students at NKU are included below:

Thinking about Graduate School?

          Find out more information about this important decision by clicking on this link

[information supplied by Dr. R. L. Boyce; Department of Biological Sciences; Northern Kentucky University]

 http://www.nku.edu/~boycer/gradschool.html

 
 

Nanotechnology for Neurological Diseases: Crossing the Blood Brain Barrier. A team of NKU biologists and chemists (headed by Dr. Kristi Martines) together with their students are designing nanopolymers to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) for potential use in drug delivery to the brain. The BBB is the tight seal of cells that prevents many drugs injected into the blood vessels or ingested from entering the brain.  The BBB is a major impeding factor in delivering drugs into the brain – drugs that may be useful in treating Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases and injuries. The team of scientists, in conjunction with Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc., designs and synthesizes new nanostructures and tests the ability of the nanostructures to cross the BBB as well as their interaction with other biological membranes in animals. The problem of delivering drugs into the brain is complex. The solution does not lie within one discipline; the answers will come from collaboration.  A portion of this project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in Kentucky. 
 

Parkinson’s Disease Research Projects. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive and motor dysfunction stemming from dopamine neuropathology in the substantia nigra (SN) of the brain.  Presently, there are no effective treatments for PD, beyond transient symptomatic treatments.  Animal models that have been proposed for PD use neurotoxins that inhibit neuronal energy production, producing free radicals that destroy neurons.  6-hydroxydopamine (6OHDA) is the most commonly used neurotoxin in rats to mimic PD.  Animal studies typically use unilateral injections of 6OHDA, even though PD affects both sides of the brain.  To address this, we showed previously that bilateral striatal injections of 6OHDA produced the learning deficits observed in early PD.  We have also shown that 7-nitroindazole (7NI), inhibitor of free radicals, protects against these learning deficits.  We are currently investigating the mechanisms by which 7NI works as well as testing additional treatments for this model of PD. This research is supported in part by a Raymond B. Bauer Student Fellowship (to KHM) from the Michigan Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, the Northern Kentucky University (NKU) Research Foundation Student Undergraduate Research & Creativity Award, and the NKU College of Arts & Sciences.

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 Identification key to the common forensically important adult flies (Diptera) of northern Kentucky . REGINA M. CUTTER* and GREGORY A. DAHLEM.  An identification key has been constructed to assist in identifying forensically important flies found in northern Kentucky . The dichotomous key is complete with multi-plane fused images that illustrate the characteristics that are important for identification. The images were produced using a digital imaging system and fusion software developed by members of the NKU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The key should allow users with little prior experience in insect identification to 1) separate acalyptrate from calyptrate Diptera; 2) identify common calyptrate Diptera to Family; and 3) identify forensically important species of Calliphoridae. The key is based on a survey of forensically important flies collected from northern Kentucky and the surrounding geographical area.
   

An investigation of the flies (Diptera) attracted to and reared from vertebrate carrion in northern Kentucky.  CHRIS HOLTZ*, and GREGORY A. DAHLEM.  This investigation was undertaken to compare and contrast the faunas of flies attracted to versus those that actually reared from vertebrate carrion. Raw chicken was used as bait and as the larval rearing material.  The dominant family found was the Calliphoridae, or blow flies, although a variety of other species in three families of the calyptrate Diptera were captured or reared during this investigation.  The species encountered during this study match closely with those commonly used to determine postmortem interval in human forensic entomology cases. The study investigated the “first wave” of insect succession occurring during the first four days of carrion exposure to the environment.  The experiment was replicated twice during the summer of 2004 at the campus of Northern Kentucky University at Highland Heights, Kentucky.
 

Effects of topography on the thickness of A-horizon in the soil of Big Bone Lick State Park. JADE SPECHTHOLD*, KATI FOSSETT*, WHITNEY COSTNER*, and THOMAS SPROAT.  Biological productivity in an ecosystem is often dependent on the structure and composition of the soil.  Soil formation and structure is believed to be affected by specific locational features, such as topography and climate.  As part of a week-long science camp, we investigated the soil structure of a part of Big Bone Lick State Park in Boone County, Kentucky.  We used transects and survey pits to compare the thickness of A-horizons on a ridge top, hillside, and low lying field.  Our results showed a significant difference in the thickness of A-horizons among these three locations.  These results support the theory that soil structure is influenced by the topography of an area.  As most soil nutrients are found in the A-horizon and many plant species have specific soil requirements, these results may be useful in the Park’s habitat restoration plan.

The effects of forest harvest practices on small mammals.  TIMOTHY C. FERGUSON* and THOMAS McK. SPROAT. An increasing demand for paper has lead to an increase in timber harvests and a potential negative impact on wildlife.  Clear cutting is often perceived as more destructive to wildlife than selective cutting. With the cooperation of the Mead-Westvaco Paper Company, we sought to evaluate the effects of forest harvest practices on the species diversity and relative population levels of small mammals.  We used two forest tracts: a 20 year post clear cut tract and a 20 year post selective cut tract.  Two transects of 10 Sherman box traps were placed at 10 m intervals in each forest tract. For three consecutive nights, traps were set within two hours of dusk and examined within two hours of dawn.  The results of this preliminary study indicated that small mammal populations in the previously clear cut area were not significantly lower than populations in the selectively harvested areas.
   

Persistence of Escherichia coli in soil, sand, coffee extracts and tea extracts. DENNIS LYE and students. Our studies suggest that strains of Escherichia coli may persist in natural substrates (soil, beach sand, etc.) longer than previously reported.  Using a new isolation medium and isolation procedure, we can monitor the survival of this important indicator organism in natural soil communities under a variety of environmental parameters. Food-borne illness brought on from the consumption of sprout products is a major concern in food safety.  Much research has been done to find a way to decontaminate seeds and still get a high germination rate.  This study presents a decontamination procedure modeled around previously published procedures, but used on seedlings instead of seeds. 
   

         Body Size in Eastern and Western Cicada Killer Wasps, Sphecius speciosus and S. grandis (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae).  L. JOSEPH GRAY*, JUSTIN V.  DAHLEM, and KEVIN BRIEGEL, Eastern cicada killer wasps (Sphecius speciosus) inhabit all states of the USA east of the Rocky Mountains. The western species (S. grandis) is found mainly in states of the southern Rockies. In an effort to reevaluate the taxonomic status of these wasps, we attempted to elucidate all traits distinguishing the species. Based on specimens in our possession and in the possession of other researchers, body size appeared to be a reliable interspecific difference, with eastern wasps being significantly larger than western wasps. Conversely, however, previous research on provisioning Hymenoptera suggested that body size of individual wasps is determined more by the size of the provision made by the individual's mother than by genetic factors, a finding that cast doubt on the validity of size as a classifying criterion for cicada killers. In an effort to resolve these conflicting observations, we studied two sympatric populations of the two species in southwestern Texas and in eastern Colorado. To estimate body size, we measured the right forewing length of random samples of both species in both locations. We found no statistically significant difference in wing length between species within locations, but found statistically significant differences between locations, with the Colorado wasps being larger. We also captured and measured samples of the cicada prey available at the two sites, and found that Colorado cicadas also were larger than those in Texas. We therefore rejected body size as a distinguishing interspecific characteristic, and concluded that, to a large extent, cicada killer body size is influenced by the size of the local cicada prey species

The Use of Randomly Amplified DNA Fingerprinting to Evaluate the Relationship between Eastern and Western Cicada Killer Wasps, Sphecius speciosus and S. grandis (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae).  DAVID R. HAHN*, JACK J. DEFEVERS JR., and ANGELA M. MENDELL. Eastern cicada killer wasps are found throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, while western cicada killers are largely confined to the states of the southern Rockies. Traditionally, biologists have classified the eastern and western types as separate species, Sphecius speciosus and S. grandis, respectively. Several researchers have recently argued, however, that these two groups are merely regional color morphs of a single species. In order to resolve this question, we located sympatric populations of the two types in Big Bend National Park, Texas, and in John Martin State Park in eastern Colorado. Field observations revealed no obvious behavioral or ecological differences between the two wasp types, which, in fact, often intermingled in the same trees. Detailed examination (using light and scanning electron microscopy) of wasp specimens collected at the two sites suggested that the only differences between the types are in color and abdominal banding patterns, traits that also were found to vary within the types. The field observations and morphological comparisons therefore support the recent hypothesis that the types are variants of the same species. We then, however, used randomly amplified DNA fingerprinting to compare DNA of wasps between types and between geographic locations. The DNA analysis revealed a much greater difference between wasp types than between geographic locations. These results suggest that the eastern and western wasps are following separate evolutionary trajectories and therefore should be considered separate species.
   

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 Mites and flies associated with North American pitcher plants. With funding from NKU's Center for Integrated Science and Mathematics (CINSAM), five students and three professors from Northern Kentucky University studied an assemblage of mites and flies that inhabit carnivorous pitcher plants.  Evidence indicates the association between the plants and the arthropods may result from a long history of co-speciation.  The team collected arthropods from a variety of pitcher plant species in the southeastern U.S.A.  Team members analyzed the degree of host specificity of these arthropods, described the new species, and examined aspects of sexual selection in the flesh fly associates.  Our investigation integrates plant systematics, arthropod systematics, and evolution, with the help of statistical analyses.  It involved both field work, and laboratory work.