Students who won summer research awards in biology will present their findings on Friday

Graduate and undergraduate biology majors who won research awards this past summer will present the findings of their plant and animal studies on Friday, Oct. 19, starting at 3 p.m. in Jewett 101.  

Each fall, the department welcomes donors and guests to hear the results of the student work.  A reception will be held following the presentations at 5 p.m.  

The summer research program for SUNY Fredonia biology majors is supported by the Fredonia College Foundation with gifts from the Holmberg Foundation of Jamestown, N.Y., Constantine Barker Foundation, Dr. Robert Wettingfeld Undergraduate Research Award and Biology Endowment Fund.

Three graduate students, all pursuing Master of Science degrees in Biology, and their respective projects and faculty advisers are:

• Jacob Merle of Portland, N.Y.--“Translation of Gurken in Drosophila and IRES Mediated Translation,” mentored by Dr. Scott Ferguson;
   
• Danielle Smith of Corning, N.Y.--“Environmental Enrichment as a Means of Increasing Male/Female Social Interactions in a Critically Endangered Species, Macaca nigra,” mentored by Dr. Karry Kazial; and
   
• Jessica Wooten of West Henrietta, N.Y.--“Suppression of the Invasive Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) to Preserve Native Plant Communities,” mentored by Dr. Jonathan Titus.

The five undergraduate students, with their respective majors, projects and advisers, are:

• Thomas Caggianelli, a junior biology major from Canandaigua, N.Y.-- “Possible Mutualism between the Myrmica ruba and Fallopia japonica,” mentored by Dr. Jonathan Titus;
   
• David DiPalma, a senior biology major from Fredonia, N.Y.--“Secondary Structural Determination of the asp-tRNA and the Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) in the 5’-Untranslated Region of Drosophila gurken mRNA,” mentored by Dr. David Fountain;
   
• Jordan Johnson, a senior molecular genetics major from Saint Albans, N.Y., (minoring in Mathematics)-- “Correlation between a Metabolic Fiber Type Regulator (PGC-1a) and Myosin Heavy Chain Expression in Skeletal Muscle Fibers,” mentored by Dr. Scott Medler;
   
• Nancy Levensailor, a junior molecular genetics major from Glenfield, N.Y.--“Fluorescent Visualization of Sqd-grk Interactions in Transgenic Drosophila,” mentored by Dr. Scott Ferguson; and
   
• Steven Whittemore, a junior biology and medical technology major from Penfield, N.Y. (minor in athletic coaching)--“The Effects of Muscular Fiber Phenotypes on running Performance: Ghost and Fiddler Crabs,” mentored by Dr. Scott Medler.