Spring 2023 Undergraduate Research Award Winners
Congratulations to Izzy Frenette, Ines Picard, and Judy Wong for receiving the Spring 2023 Undergraduate Research Award. This annual award is given to outstanding seniors of many majors performing research in Biology Department labs by the Biology Research and Honors Committee.
Isabelle Fernette (EBE/MAR Award) researched the urbanization impacts on aboveground tree dynamics with belowground characteristics in the Bhatnagar Lab.
Inès Picard (NEURO Award) investigated the role of complement component 4 overexpression on the intracellular trafficking of synaptic proteins in the Cruz-Martín Lab.
Judy Wong (CM Award) researched how the mutations in the IVD of the scaffold protein NEMO affect its higher-order structure formation in the Gilmore Lab.
Congratulations to Izzy, Inès, and Judy!
2023 Master’s Merit Scholarship Recipients
Molly Frank of the Lobel Lab, Noah Singer of the Rotjan and Novak Labs, and Michelle Feivelson are this year's recipients of the Master's Merit Scholarship for continuing MS students.
 Molly completed her undergraduate degree in conservation biology and zoology in the Midwest, where she worked on a fresh water limnology research project for the Iowa DNR after graduating. She came to Boston University to get her graduate degree in biology, where she’s been focusing on marine biology. Her research interests include marine conservation and shark research/conservation. Molly also received an honorable mention for the 2022-2023 Outstanding TF in Biology award. |
 Noah (he/him/his) is a second-year master's student in the Rotjan Marine Ecology Lab and Dr. Alyssa Novaks' Lab. He majored in Marine Science and Biology at The University of Miami RSMAS. He is working on restoring two half-acre sites by transplanting vegetative Eelgrass and planting over 300,000 Eelgrass seeds. Additionally, he will research bay scallop recruitment into newly restored Eelgrass environments and predation on bay scallops. He loves to go SCUBA diving, hiking, and other outdoor activities when he is not cheering on the New Jersey Devils or Boston Red Sox. |
 Michelle is a second-year master's student in the Cell and Molecular Biology program. While she's not currently affiliated with a specific lab, she gained valuable experience during a rotation with Dr. Ana Fiszbein last Fall. During that time, she focused on computational biology, exploring alternative first and last exons in cardiac cells. This past summer, she interned at the Ayin Tech research lab in NY under the guidance of Yossi Buganim. Her research centered on Retinitis Pigmentosa, a retinal disease, and she employed cell-based methods and innovative approaches to tackle complex issues that conventional sequencing data couldn't resolve. Michelle's passion lies in leveraging cellular and molecular approaches to address challenging problems in the context of diseases. |
Congratulations, Molly, Noah, and Michelle!
Work on Neuronal Communication Published in Molecular Cell by the Garcia-Marcos Lab
The Garcia-Marcos Lab has recently published a study in Molecular Cell titled, “Fine-tuning GPCR-mediated neuromodulation by biasing signaling through different G protein subunits.”
The paper describes how various signaling responses triggered by the same neurotransmitter receptor must be carefully scaled to ensure proper brain function. They found that the protein named GINIP shifts the balance of two different G protein sub-species activated simultaneously by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large family of surface receptors that respond to many neurotransmitters and neuropeptides (GABA, dopamine, serotonin, or opioids).
This mechanism operates in synapses that dampen neurotransmission and, when disabled, results in increased seizure susceptibility in mouse models. These findings have important implications for the fundamental understanding of neuronal communication and for the development of new therapeutic agents that act on GPCRs.
This work was co-led by Jong-Chan Park (Postdoc) and Alex Luebbers (Graduate Student) with collaborations from the Martemyanov Lab at UF Scripps Biomedical Research Institute and the Yano Lab at Northeastern University, and has been highlighted by Molecular Cell and Science Signaling.
Click here to read the full article.
Pamela Garcia Lopez Recipient of Kilachand Doctoral Fellowship
Pamela Garcia Lopez of the Siggers Lab recently received the Kilachand Doctoral Fellowship. This fellowship is awarded by the Multicellular Design Program (MDP), which combines research in Synthetic Biology, Microbial Engineering, Tissue Engineering, Data Science, and Biophysics to understand the design principles of multicellular systems. The mission of MDP, which is funded through the Rajen Kilachand Fund, is to understand the underlying design principles governing multicellular systems, and to leverage these principles for the development of new technologies.
Pamela is a second year PhD student in the Cell & Molecular Biology program. Her research aims to decipher the rules of cofactor recruitment by transcription factors in mammalian cells. She's particularly interested in the design of synthetic cofactors with the goal of building integrators of endogenous signaling pathways to understand how multicellular systems respond to signaling environments.
Congratulations, Pamela!
So Young Bae Wins Poster Prize from the American Crystallographic Association
So Young Bae, MCBB PhD student in the Tolan Lab, won the Journal of Chemical Crystallography poster prize at the recent international meeting of the American Crystallographic Association in Baltimore Maryland this past July 2023. The American Crystallographic Association is the preeminent society supporting structural science at all levels and disciplines. The Journal of Chemical Crystallography Poster Prize recognizes the best student, graduate or undergraduate, poster presentation in the area of chemical crystallography.
So Young’s poster was entitled, “Mode of Substrate Binding for Ketohexokinase across Isozymes and Species Implies an Induced-fit Mechanism.” Her award was acknowledged at the closing banquet. Her presentation showed that one of the most important isozymes, ketohexokinase-A (KHK-A), which is involved in moonlighting as a protein kinase and has roles in regulating expression of genes important in cancer cells, can undergo a conformational change. She showed this structural change by solving the first ever structure of mouse KHK-A by X-ray crystallography and revealing differences in structure from what was previously known. She also solved the structure of human KHK-A in complex with one of it’s natural substrates, fructose. This structure revealed yet another distinct structural difference from the either the unbound enzyme or the enzyme bound with both substrates. Her work will eventually determine if these structural changes are part of the switch from a sugar kinase to a protein kinase.
Congratulations, So Young!
2023 Dr. Marion R. Kramer Scholarship Winners
The Department of Biology is excited to announce the three recipients of this year’s Dr. Marion R. Kramer Scholarships: Hannah Axten of the Ho Lab, Alanna Carey of the Chen Lab, and Yuan Tian of the Man Lab.
 Hannah studies a member of the forkhead box (FOX) family of transcription factors, FOXR1, and its role in neurodevelopment. A human patient identified by the NIH Undiagnosed Disease Network with a heterozygous mutation in FOXR1 displays developmental delay, progressive brain atrophy, and microcephaly. Mice null for foxr1 phenocopy aspects of the patient phenotype. She is currently investigating how loss of foxr1 leads to abnormal brain development in transgenic mice. |
 Alanna's research project aims to gain an understanding of the neurobiology of individual differences and examine genetic contributions to behavior in a controlled environment. The overarching hypothesis for this project is that individual differences in goal-directed learning arise through genetic variation at the gene expression, neural circuit, and behavioral levels. The recently developed, genetically heterogeneous mouse strain Diversity Outbred (DO) mimics the human population’s genetic variation while allowing for investigations of complex phenotypic traits in a controlled environment. Mice are subjected to an automated, cognitively demanding spatial learning paradigm to determine the genetic contributions driving the rate of learning performance through Quantitative Trait Loci analysis (QTL) while tracking their task-related and offline behaviors. By comparing DO mice to the 8 inbred founder mouse lines, learning performance was highly variable for DO mice and group differences were observed between inbred lines that spanned the variation observed in DO mice. Behavioral analysis from lick sensors and videography suggest that individuals employ a range of motor strategies to perform the task. This work will provide evidence for intrinsic factors that govern aspects of learning that can be further investigated using genetic strategies. |
 Yuan's research focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) associated with the overexpression of Ube3A, one of the most common genetic factors in ASD etiology. She studies the molecular mechanisms underlying defective excitatory synaptic activity, as well as the presence of, and mechanisms behind, sexually dimorphic changes in cellular features, gene expression, neuronal activity, and autistic behaviors in Ube3A-dependent ASD. |
This award provides support for high-achieving female students majoring in Biology. The award was established in 2001 in honor of Dr. Marion Kramer who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Boston University in 1963 and went on to a long and satisfying career in biology and medicine.
Congratulations, Hannah, Alanna, and Yuan!
E Schlatter Receives 2023 Dana Wright Fellowship
E Schlatter of the Buston Lab is the 2023 recipient of the Dana Wright Fellowship.
E uses a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches to address questions about the evolution of marine larval dispersal. Their current projects include: using quantitative genetics to ask about the evolutionary potential of dispersal-related traits in the clownfish Amphiprion percula; using a theoretical model to illustrate the roles of opposing components of selection in shaping dispersal patterns; and using genetic simulations and seascape information to create a quantitative link between empirical measures of dispersal and the resulting spatial genetic structure in the neon goby Elacatinus lori. As a whole, this work contributes to our understanding of how and why organisms have evolved to disperse through the ocean as they do.
This fellowship was established in memory of Dana Wright (CAS ’00), an alum of the BU Marine Program. After completing her studies, Wright went on to work in research in right whale acoustics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod.
Congratulations, E!
So Young Bae Receives 2023 Denton Award
So Young Bae of the Tolan Lab was selected as the winner of the 2023 Denton Award for her master’s research thesis in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (MCBB) titled “Mode of Substrate Binding and Specificity for Ketohexokinase across Isozymes Implies an Induced-Fit Mechanism.” This award is given for excellence in scholarship and research accomplishment during a master’s thesis under the mentorship of a faculty member of the Department of Biology.
So Young received her BA from Boston University where she studied Biology. Before her admission to the MCBB master’s program in 2022, she worked as a staff research assistant in the Tolan lab and was critical in melding the CLIA-approved HFI laboratory into the Clinical Testing Laboratory that tested over two million samples during the coronavirus pandemic. During this time, she became interested in structural biology and learned X-ray crystallography through working with the Allen laboratory in the Chemistry department. So Young’s master’s research focused on the conformational changes important to catalysis in the first enzyme in the metabolism of fructose, ketohexokinase. She's currently a PhD student in the MCBB program.
Congratulations, So Young!
2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recipients and Honorable Mention
The awardees and honorable mentions for the 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) competition were recently posted and several Biology students were recognized. Biology PhD student Erin Frates of the Marlow Lab, Marine Science BA student Annabel Hughes of the Davies Lab, and Biology PhD student Renata Serio of the Fiszbein Lab were awarded with 3-year graduate research fellowships. Biology PhD student Shalom Entner of the Finnerty Lab received an honorable mention.
 Erin Frates is a PhD student in the Marlow Lab studying Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. Their work is focused on environmental microbiology ranging from seafloor ecosystems to NASA ocean worlds. They are interested in understanding microbe-mineral interactions; in particular, how does microbial diversity and activity influence surrounding mineralogy, and how geochemistry in turn informs microbial ecology. Recently, Frates assessed the influence of natural and anthropogenic carbon on microbial communities at Little Sippewissett Salt Marsh on Cape Cod. Now, they are using mineral-printed electrodes to stimulate methanogenic activity under Enceladus-like conditions in order to identify potential biosignatures. Frates recently participated in a NSF-funded masterclass centered on training early career researchers to lead future deep sea expeditions. |
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 Renata Serio is a PhD student in the Fiszbein lab, which focuses on uncovering mechanisms regulating transcription and pre-mRNA processing. Her current focus, supported by the NSF GRFP, revolves around understanding the intricate mechanism behind viral protein induced alternative splicing of host genomes. Splicing is the process in which introns are removed from transcripts during pre-mRNA processing. Often, genes will have multiple alternative transcripts, this is referred to as alternative splicing. Dysregulation of alterative splicing has been identified as the cause of many cancers. During viral infection expression of specific viral proteins can alter activity of alternative splicing in host genes. This is particularly significant for a subset of viruses referred to as oncoviruses; which have the ability to induce cancer. Renata’s research combines computational and experimental approaches to unravel how viral protein expression modifies alternative splicing patterns in infected cells. |
 Shalom Entner is studying variation of oxidative stress response to polystyrene (styrofoam) microplastic with ultraviolet light exposure in Nematostella vectensis using phenotypic and transcriptomic methods. Microplastics may affect organisms even when it is not ingested or incorporated into the body due to chemicals that they leach as they are exposed to UV light. Oxidants are known to leach from polystyrene, inducing oxidative stress which is likely to vary between individuals. Baseline research is needed to establish the oxidative stress responses to this exposure, especially where these toxicants may exist for extended periods of time. N. vectensis is a sentinel species in persistent salt marsh ponds that collect runoff, meaning this animal can be used as an environmental monitor. |
Annabel Hughes graduated with a BA in Marine Science from BU in January 2023 and moved on to a Research Technician position in the Davies Lab. Her research proposal investigates three cryptic lineages in a Siderastrea siderea species complex across the Bocas del Toro Reef Complex (BTRC) in Panamá. The existence of these cryptic lineages was previously documented by Dr. Hannah Aichelman in the Davies Lab, and this additional research sets out to build upon what we already know with key information such as upper thermal limits and microbial communities of these different lineages. The overarching objective is to identify the forces influencing the spatial distributions of cryptic lineages across the BTRC seascape in an effort to understand and predict future reef responses to anthropogenic warming.Congratulations to the awardees and honorable mentions on your hard work and this well-deserved honor.
Gilmore Lab Featured in Nature’s Communications Biology
The Gilmore Lab published a journal article in Nature’s Communications Biology titled “Starvation decreases immunity and immune regulatory factor NF-kB in the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis.” This study was in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Davies and Dr. Trevor Siggers.
Ph.D. student Joshua Aguirre Carrión led this investigation with the support of undergraduate Niharika Desai.
Nutrition is one of the many factors that determine the immunological condition of an organism. However, the interplay between nutrition and immunity has been understudied in early diverging lineages of invertebrates, such as the phylum Cnidaria. Sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Nv) is a cnidarian with remarkable adaptability to adjust physiological status based on nutritional intake and availability. The immune system is metabolically expensive and subject to complex regulation. The relationship between nutrition and immunity in Nv remains largely unexplored. The study found that starvation increases the susceptibility of sea anemone polyps to bacterial infection, and NF-kB transcript and protein are reduced in starved anemones.
To read the full article, please click here.
Dr. Aguirre Carrión is now a scientist at Generate Biomedicines in Cambridge, MA. In Fall 2023, Ms. Desai will attend the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
