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Graduate Students
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Graduate Student |
Major Professor |
Project Rationale and Description |
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Adhikar, Arjun |
Drs. Smith and Nienow |
“Impact Assessment of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and BP Dispersants on Diatoms at Perdido Bay and Pensacola Bay”. |
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Agyabeng-Dadzie, Fiffi |
Dr. Elder |
To determine genetically whether K. marmoratus and K. ocellatus are really different species or just subspecies since the strain Gitmo is believed to be a hybrid. |
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Bare, Ryan |
Dr. Blackmore |
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Bernhardt, Lynda |
Dr. Bechler |
Environmental and Behavioral Influences on Egg Laying in the Mangrove Rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus |
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Gopinath, Adarsh |
Dr. Elder |
Sequencing and charecterization of the cnr1 gene in Kryptolebias marmoratus. |
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Jarvis, Taylor |
Dr. Bielmyer |
“Dietary metal toxicity in sensitive marine invertebrates” |
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Kirkley, Ashley |
Dr. Bechler |
Population Structure and Movement Patterns the Water Moccasin, Agkistrodon piscivorous conanti—Much of South Georgia contains extensive wetlands. As the urban areas of South Georgia grow and expand, residential areas are moving closer and closer to the wetlands increasing the potential for human-water moccasin interactions or encounters to occur. So as to better understand the potential for such events, we are studying the population structure and movement patterns of Agkistrodon piscivorous conanti at the VSU Plowden Field Station, which lies on eastern edge of the City of Valdosta. |
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Lasseter, Landon |
Dr. Elder |
Iron Chelation of Bryostatin |
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Malik, Heera |
Drs. Smith and Nienow |
Effect of BP Oil Spill on Diatoms at Choctawhatchee Bay |
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Mercer, Eliczabeth |
Dr. Bush |
The plant genusScutellaria(family Lamiaceae, “mints”) is comprised of approximately 360 cosmopolitan species.Twenty-four species are found in the southeastern US. The genus has been used medicinally on multiple continents, predominantly for itsanxiolytic (anti-anxiety),anti-inflammatoryandanalgesicproperties. Recently, certain species in the genus have been investigated for their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth. Despite the immense interest in the group, a phylogeny or evolutionary hypothesis has never been performed on the genus as a whole. My project would involve a preliminary phylogenetic analysis ofScutellariawith representatives from around the world. Collaborators include Dr. Dick Olmstead from the University of Washington as well as colleagues from China. DNA extraction and sequencing of samples would result in a large-scale phylogenetic tree. With this framework, more detailed analyses, including an investigation of the southeastern US species via DNA fingerprinting, could follow. |
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Nienow, Tatyana |
Dr. Grove |
Calsequestrin is a calcium-binding protein found in muscle that undergoes dramatic conformational changes during muscle contraction and relaxation. In my project I will express and purify calsequestrin from the small intertidal fish F. heteroclitus in order to characterize its thermodynamic and calcium-binding parameters in a fish adapted to variable temperatures. |
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Ortiz, Antonio |
Dr. Calestani |
The biological processes that control embryo development from fertilization to a complete organism are not fully understood. In order to understand the process of cell differentiation we utilize the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, as our animal model. Our aim is to gain further understanding of developmental gene regulatory networks by studying cis-regulatory elements, more specifically those controlling the expression of the polyketide synthase gene (PKS) in pigment cells. Another branch of our research is to characterize the function of these pigment cells, as they have been linked to having immune properties. Since sea urchins can live over a hundred years without having an adaptive immune system, this is of great value to the field of medicine. |
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Patrick, Chase |
Dr. Waters |
Responses of primary producer community structure to climatic and anthropogenic stress. |
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Perry, Jacob L. |
Dr. Ring |
Intraspecific comparison in Kryptolebias marmoratus laboratory clones by looking at 5 nuclear loci to compare with microsatellite regions as well as cloning of the VASA gene. |
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Salter, John |
Dr. Bechler |
My current research focuses on the diversity of fish assemblages within aquatic vegetation. Also, I am working under the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in a survey for the endangered Blackbanded Sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon) and other select species. |
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Shiver, Nathan |
Dr. Grove |
Myoglobin expression in cardiac muscle of the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, during emersion |
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Sucar, Sofia |
Dr. Ring |
"Identification of zygotic mutants and adult sterile fish in the Mangorve Killifish (Kryptolebias marmoratus)" |
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Wright, Charles |
Dr. Bechler |
Fishes and Macro-Invertebrate Assemblages in South Georgia Borrow Pits: with foci towards conservation and food web comparison across the sampled borrow pits. |
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Yarborough, Stephanie |
Dr. Carter |
Floristic inventories provide the essential baseline data that is the foundation for all other ecological research and conservation. Grand Bay is the second largest freshwater wetland in the state of Georgia and is state and federally protected, yet no complete floristic inventory of the area has been conducted. My research is a floristic inventory of a 47,698 ha area of the Grand Bay system, as well as a description of plant communities. The floristic inventory will provide a checklist of all vascular plant species found within the study area. Invasive and rare species as well as plant community types will be mapped using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies. Voucher specimens will be made of all vascular plants found within the study area. They will be kept in the Valdosta State University Herbarium (VSC) where they will provide a permanent and tangible record. |
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