Effects of toxin exposure on poison frogs
Rebecca Tarvin, Professor
Integrative Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Applications for Spring 2024 are closed for this project.
The Tarvin Lab is currently setting up a poison frog colony. 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). We are recruiting students who can help us take care of frogs and to phenotype frogs throughout the experiment.
Role: Undergraduate students are being recruited to help take care of the frog colony, which we are expecting to have started up in early Spring 2024. Tasks will include cleaning cages and equipment, checking frog health, feeding frogs, taking care of feeder insects (crickets, flies, collembolas, mealworms), helping with phenotypic assays, 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 may ask URAP students -- once trained -- to come in on the weekends to check on frog health throughout the semester.
We expect to recruit two students in Spring 2024.
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). Experience working with live animals is helpful but not necessary.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Nuzha Baksh, Staff Researcher
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Biological & Health Sciences