Effects of toxin exposure on poison frogs
Rebecca Tarvin, Professor
Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Applications for Spring 2025 are closed for this project.
The Tarvin Lab studies how and why poison frogs don’t poison themselves. We aim to measure the effect of toxin consumption on frog health and chemical defenses through toxin feeding experiments paired with phenotypic assays (health monitoring, jumping challenges) and genomic assessment (RNA and DNA sequencing).
Role: We are recruiting students who can help us take care of frogs (and tadpoles) and to phenotype frogs throughout the experiment (in Spring 2025). As of December 2024, we have approximately 250 frogs of two species and nearly 200 tadpoles at various developmental stages. Tasks will include cleaning cages and equipment, checking frog health, feeding frogs, tadpole rearing, taking care of feeder insects (crickets, flies, roaches, mealworms), helping with phenotypic assays, and collecting samples for genomic analyses. This opportunity will provide students with training in evolutionary biology and genetics, experimental design, frog husbandry and running physiological assays. Students will also have access to professional development opportunities, including attending weekly lab meetings with the Tarvin lab and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology community events (e.g. seminars, weekly coffee hour, Herp Group, etc.). The overall expected outcome is the development of scientific skills to prepare for a career in science. Highly responsible and inquisitive students may have the option of developing independent thesis projects within the context of this research.
Given that we will be working with live frogs, we will ask URAP students -- once trained -- to come in on the weekends to check on frog health throughout the semester.
We expect to recruit one student in Spring 2025.
Qualifications: Competitive applicants will have several or all of the following qualities: excellent organization and communication skills, aptitude for creative-problem solving, detail-oriented, ability to work independently, comfortable handling live insects, a positive attitude, interest in evolutionary biology and/or genetics, responsible approach to work (showing up consistently, on time, and letting lab know when absent), interest in staying for 2+ semesters. Experience working with live animals is helpful but not necessary.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Sophie Draper, Staff Researcher
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Biological & Health Sciences