The role of nectar composition in plant-animal interactions

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This award provides support to the Department of Biology at the State University of New York at Fredonia to continue a successful Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The SITE will foster the intellectual growth and emotional development of 10 undergraduate participants per year by involving them in a investigation of plant-insect interactions. The research will focus on the role that amino acids play in attracting insects to plant nectars and on the role of nectar-derived amino acids in nourishing the nectar feeders. Participants in the project will collect plant nectars, observe insect behavior, biochemically analyze the lipid and protein components of insects fed different nectariferous diets, and test hypotheses that relate the nectar diet to nutritional status. In each of the three years, this project will be divided into two parts, summer and winter. The eight summer weeks will offer one week of introduction to theory and methods, three weeks of directed research on group projects, and four weeks of independent, participant-originated projects. During the fall semester, participants will analyze the results of their independent projects. They will return to Fredonia in January, when they will prepare oral presentations of their projects to be presented at the Eastern College Science Conference the following April. Student researchers in this project will develop through: 1) an increased understanding of ecology, behavior, evolution, biochemistry, and physiology, 2) hands-on experience with specific field and laboratory research techniques, 3) practice in critical reading and analytical thinking, and 4) acquisition of a variety of research support skills. All of these accomplishments will enhance the emotional maturity of participants, help define their career choices as scientists, and, in some cases, raise their aspirations.