Exploring the evolution of axial gene regulation in the sea lamprey neural crest
Megan Martik, Professor
Molecular and Cell Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
The evolution of vertebrates is intimately linked to the advent of the neural crest, a migratory and multipotent cell population that gives rise to many defining vertebrate characteristics, such as the jaw and peripheral gangilia. Where the neural crest arise along the body axis during developmement has great impacts on the derivatives they make. Neural crest coming from the cranial region contributes to the formation of the craniofacial skeleton. The jawless fish, the sea lamprey, is one of the few surviving species of early-branching vertebrates that host genuine neural crest cells, but lack the full suite of neural crest derivatives. This project explores molecular and gene regulatory differences between axial populations of the neural crest in sea lamprey to better understand how distinct morphological features that coincide with changes to the vertebrate body plan evolved.
Role: As a student in the Martik Lab, you will learn many essential molecular biology skills, such as PCR, molecular cloning, bacterial transformation, DNA sequencing and analysis, and how to assay gene expression with techniques such as in situ hybridization. Additionally, students will take part in regular lab operations and resource maintenance as well as expand their scientific communication skills though attending and participating in journal clubs and lab meetings. After showing proficiency in these skills, there may be opportunities to continue research into the summer if the student is interested, which is when we house and breed live lamprey and conduct many of our seasonal experiments, though no live lamprey work will be done in the Spring semester.
Students will interact directly with their mentor, Hannah Van Mullem, for day-to-day tasks and will meet with Dr. Martik weekly to discuss research progress.
Qualifications: We welcome students with an interest in molecular and cellular biology, especially those interested in developmental biology. We’re looking for applicants who are highly motivated to expand their knowledge of experimental techniques and design. Students should be able to think critically about the experiments that they work on and be unafraid to ask questions to further their understanding. We especially encourage those who take responsibility and pride in their work and want to continue in lab research. Previous research experience is appreciated, but not required. 9 hours or more of research per week is preferred.
MCB or IB Major – Required
Bio 1A – Required
Genetics 104 or 140 – Highly desirable but not essential
Biochemistry 102 or equivalent (e.g., C110) – Highly desirable but not essential
Developmental Biology 141 – Desirable but not essential
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Hannah Van Mullem, Staff Researcher
Hours: 12 or more hours
Related website: http://
Biological & Health Sciences