Campus Currents

Biology Students Active in Professional Research

Both on campus and as far away as the Philippines, students are developing their potential by conducting research with their professors. The Biology Department is especially proactive in student research and may have as many as 15 students participating during a given school year. They study everything from the role of ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathways in multicellular development, to dormancy and nutrient recycling of sea cucumbers.

“Students are not only doing real research, but they are going through the process of talking about and showing that research, communicating to other scientists,” says David Lindsey, associate professor of biology. “This really allows them to network and connect, and gain practical experience.”

Students studying molecular biology with Lindsey are able to be a part of gene discovery and work to find the function of genes.

“What we do may come the closest to helping understand the biochemical basis for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, and fundamental development processes in general,” says Lindsey. “It’s important for students to see how things are done, so they’re actually doing the science they are learning about. It’s not just a problem that you work out on the page. You go to the lab and solve a real problem.”

This year, three of Lindsey’s students will present their research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Students can also present their work in arenas such as the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and the Regional Conference on Undergraduate Research, Murdoch College Research Program at Lewis & Clark College. Their work is also published in professional journals.

The students place considerable value on their research, citing it as a growth experience, and the reason they are more credible candidates for graduate studies. W

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