Research

Undergraduate Research and Extramural Research Opportunities

Dear Undergraduate Students:

Participation in an undergraduate research project under the direction of the faculty provides an opportunity for outstanding students to explore the possibility of a career as a research scientist. While these research projects are usually conducted within the Department's facilities, cooperative programs with other academic and industry laboratories, and NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) make it possible for students to conduct research projects at extramural sites.

Students interested in undergraduate research in the Department of Biological Sciences are required to take BIOL 2992 Research Orientation in the fall of their sophomore or junior year. This course helps students match their interests with specific faculty or a specific extramural research opportunity. The course also requires students to do intensive bibliographic research in the preparation of their research prospectus, i.e., a detailed description of their proposed research project.

Students generally complete their research during the next academic year or during an intensive 9 week period in the summer. The culmination of the student's undergraduate research experience, whether in the Department of Biological Sciences or at an extramural site, will require the student to produce a senior thesis and may qualify to present the results of their thesis as an oral presentation at the Boland Symposium or as a poster at the annual Appalachian Student Research Forum held in March or the Beta Beta Beta, Southeast Region, annual meeting in April. Academically outstanding students may be eligible for out of state tuition waivers or fellowships based on the recommendation of the faculty.

Departmental Funding Opportunities for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Students

For more information regarding general research opportunities contact any faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences

University Funding Opportunities

Research can be considered any type of activity that adds knowledge through academic study. Research activities can include traditional bench science, library-based studies, survey-based work and creative or performance activities.

The Honors College provides support for undergraduate research abroad, you can find more information concerning this funding opportunity at the Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities website.

Recent Publications with Undergraduates (in bold)

Azim S, McDowell D, Cartagena A, Rodriguez R, Laughlin TF, Ahmad Z; 2016. Venom peptides cathelicidin and lycotoxin cause strong inhibition of Escherichia coli ATP synthase. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 87:246-251.

Moore D, Watts JC, Herrig A, Jones TC. Exceptionally short-period clock in Cyclosa turbinata: regulation of locomotor and web-building behavior in an orb-weaving spider.  In press: Journal of Arachnology.

Devaiah SK, Owens DK, Sibhatu MB, Sarker TR, Strong CL, Mallampalli VKPS, Asiago J, Cooke J, Kiser S, Lin Z, Wamucho A, Hayford D, Williams BE, Loftis P, Berhow M, Pike LM and McIntosh CA; 2016.  Isolation, recombinant expression and biochemical analysis of putative secondary product glucosyltransferases from Citrus paradisi.  J. Agric. Food. Chem. 64:1957-1969 (doi 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05430).

Shropshire JD, Moore D, Seier E, Joplin KH; 2015. Male aggression, limited female choice, and the ontogeny of mating behaviour in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis. Physiological Entomology 40: 325-335. DOI: 10.1111/phen.12118.

Agrawal D, Karsai I; 2016. The mechanisms of water exchange: The regulatory roles of multiple interactions in social wasps. PLoS ONE11(1):e0145560.doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0145560.

Quijano A, Joyner ML, Ross CR, Watts JC, Seier E, Jones TC. Spatio-temporal analysis of foraging behaviors of Anelosimus studiosus: utilizing mathematical modeling of multiple spider interaction on a cooperative web. In press Journal of Theoretical Biology.

Karsai I, Montano E, and Schmickl T; 2016.  Bottom-up ecology: an agent-based model on the interactions between competition and predation, Letters in Biomathematics, 3:1, 161-180, DOI: 10.1080/23737867.2016.1217756.

Ratliff WS, Walker ES, and Levy F; 2015.  Population demographics and disease assessments in three Tennessee populations of Buckleya distichophylla (Nutt.) Torr. (Santalaceae).  Castanea 80:243-252.