Collaborative Cross-Disciplinary Research in Ecology, Endocrinology, and Molecular Biology

摘要 托马斯昆兹 提案# DBI -9988001八个研究团队，每个团队由一名或两名本科生和两名教师导师组成，将致力于不同的跨学科合作项目。 波士顿大学的REU计划的目的是促进学生和研究生物学家之间的合作研究，这些生物学家的学科传统上只有一个重点。 每个研究小组包括一名有机体生物学家（生态学家或动物行为学家）和一名内分泌学家或分子生物学家。 建议的研究课题包括：瘦素在哺乳动物生殖生物学中的作用，白蚁对病原体的免疫反应，雌激素在鱼类神经发育中的作用，群居昆虫中种姓差异的神经化学相关性，温带蝙蝠物种中的遗传群体结构，烤炉鸟中的社会行为和群体遗传结构，通过脊椎动物同工酶的系统发育分析的脊椎动物基因组的进化，以及植物发育过程中的程序性细胞死亡。 教师导师是根据他们与本科生合作的经验和兴趣以及他们自己的学术贡献精心挑选的。 五名学生将从美国东部提供有限研究机会的四年制学院和大学中选出，五名学生将从波士顿大学的学生中选出。 招聘工作将针对少数民族，妇女和身体有障碍的学生。 选拔程序将根据申请人的学术能力，研究潜力和以往的经验。 每周一次的研究和伦理研讨会将包括演讲和讨论，主题包括科学价值观和诚信，报告和调查不当行为的指控，动物的道德待遇，记录保存和数据管理，以及负责任的作者。

ABSTRACT Thomas Kunz Proposal # DBI - 9988001Eight research teams, each consisting of one or two undergraduate students and two faculty mentors, will work on different collaborative cross-disciplinary projects. The purpose of Boston University's REU program is to promote collaborative research between students and research biologists whose disciplines have traditionally had a single focus. Each research team includes an organismal biologist (ecologist or ethologist) and an endocrinologist or molecular biologist. Proposed research topics include: the role of leptin in the reproductive biology of mammals, the immune response of termites to pathogens, the role of estrogen inneurodevelopment in fish, neurochemical correlates of caste differences in social insects, genetic population structure in a temperate bat species, social behavior and population genetics structure in Ovenbirds, evolution of the vertebrate genome by phylogenetic analysis of vertebrate isozymes, and programmed cell death during plant development. Faculty mentors have been carefully selected on the basis of their experience and interest in working with undergraduates and on their own scholarly contributions. Five students will be selected from four-year colleges and universities in the eastern United States that provide limited research opportunities, and five students will be selected from a pool of students at Boston University. Recruitment efforts will target minority, women, and physically-challenged students. Selection procedures will be based on scholarly aptitude, research potential, and previous experience of the applicants. A weekly research and ethics seminar will include presentations and discussions on topics ranging from values and integrity in science, reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct, ethical treatment of animals, record keeping and data management, and responsible authorship.