Students in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at Boston University gave presentations in the program’s annual event on Thursday, August 6, 2015.
The SURF Program is funded by a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduate (NSF-REU) with Dr. Tom Gilmore as lead Principal Investigator and Director of the Program. The SURF Program provides a research opportunity for undergraduates who are interested in conducting research in the Biological Sciences. The ten students who took part in this program were selected from over 800 applicants in a nationwide search. This year students conducted ten weeks of full-time research in a Department of Biology lab, mentored by a Biology faculty member. Students also participated in weekly enrichment activities and social events.
We wish the SURF students the best as they return to their undergraduate institutions!
Students spoke in the subjects of Molecular Biology of Disease, Plant Biology, and Insect Biology
Molecular Biology of Disease
Sultan Mussakhan (Nazarbayev Univ, Kazakhstan)
Research conducted in the Gilmore Lab
Talk title: “The Effect of Truncating Mutations on the Stability of the p300 Acetyltransferase Protein”
Suhaily Penix (MassBay Community College)
Research conducted in the Gilmore Lab
Talk title: “Characterization of the ‘Intervening Domain’ of NEMO, A Protein Involved in Human Immunodeficiency Diseases”
Dominique Thompson (Northwestern State University)
Research conducted in the Eldred Lab
Talk title: “The Modulation of GFAP in Response to Blast Traumatic Brain Injury”
Plant Biology
Christopher Thomas (Whitworth University)
Research conducted in the Talbot Lab
Talk title: “Effect of Climate Change on Wood-Rot Fungi”
Lidimarie Trujillo (University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez)
Research conducted in the Talbot Lab
Talk title: “Fungi Fight Club: Effects of Nitrogen Levels on Fungal Combat”
Nahomie Rodriguez (Universidad Metropolitana, Puerto Rico)
Research conducted in the Celenza Lab
Talk title: “Role of the alf3-I Mutant in the Systemic Acquired Resistance Signaling Pathway in Arabadopsis thaliana
Maroua Jabouri (Bunker Hill Community College)
Research conducted in the Templer Lab
Talk title: “Effects of Climate Change Across Seasons on Photosynthesis and Foliar Nitrogen of Maples”
Insect Biology
Kelsey Kenniel (Spelman College)
Research conducted in the Traniello Lab
Talk title: “How Sociality Influences Brain Evolution: Ants as a Model”
Anna Yeaton (University of Massachusetts Amherst )
Research conducted in the Frydman Lab
Talk title: “Dissecting the role of Armadillo in the Intracellular Accumulation of Wolbachia”
Anthony Ortega (Boston University)
Research conducted in the McCall Lab
Talk title: “Lysosome trafficking in a Novel Form of Cell Death in Drosophila melanogaster”