Undergraduate Research and Internships

Undergraduate research is an exciting opportunity for biology students to work with faculty and experience the process of discovery. The biology faculty has developed a culture of scholarship in which students learn how to use research to strengthen their understanding of biological concepts. Undergraduate research is actively encouraged throughout the students' curriculum to invigorate learning.

Nazareth students have completed research investigations in a variety of areas including genetics, developmental biology, ecology, microbiology, animal physiology, and plant biology.

Faculty/Student Research Projects

2025

Ohira Group
Dr. Kaylen Ohira and students:  Lincoln Garwood (BMS), Peytyn Geer (BMS), Kyle Milligan (BMS), and Isabella Valenta (BCH)

This research group investigates a deadly parasite.  Tyrypanosoma brucei is the causative agent in African Sleeping Sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle.  It is 100% fatal without treatment.

Dr. T's Group
Dr. Hristina (Tina) Nedelkovska and students:  Emma Bruning (BMS), Olivia Dibble (BCH), Myaisha Montgomery (BIO), and Jasmine Sapphire Rivera (BMS)
This research focuses on immunologically relevant genes in the frog Xenopus laevis.  Xenopus is an important immunological model used to study the evolution of the immune system, as well as tumor and viral immune responses.

 

Vonica Group
Dr. Alin Vonica, Brianna LaRose (ENVS), Alexandra Leach (ENVS), Ismail Mohamed (BMS), and Martina Silvestre Sales (BMS)
Determination of left-right organ asymmetry in the frog Xenopus laevis

 

2024

Plant Biology

This is the second summer of research for Dr. Patrick Garrett's group.  The Garrett group is working on plant biology research projects centered on establishing a sustainable farming/agriculture program on the Naz campus.

Summer 2024 students:
Alex Clancy (BIO)
Lauren DeYoung (CLS)
Meghan Giessler (GSU)
Kendall Liapis (BIO)

 

Establishing left-right asymmetry in vertebrates
 
 
Dr. Alin Vonica led a group of research students during summer 2024. Using stains for nuclei and microtubules, the group discovered that cells of the embryo close to the midline divide along the length of the embryo, while more lateral cells divide at 90 degrees, sideways. This gives us a cellular mechanism for the propagation of the original asymmetry signal, present only on the left side, close to the midline, to lateral tissues where the signal acts on future organs.

The group also started molecular biology work: they recovered old plasmids (bacterial transformation, DNA purification and DNA electrophoresis analysis after cutting with restriction enzymes), and purified RNA.

As the research continues, they will analyze gene expression on the left and right sides of embryos using RT-PCR, use expression of a fluorescent protein to label individual live cells by time lapse microscopy, and inject RNA for intracellular transcription factors to turn on asymmetric signaling in a location of out choice.

Dr. Vonica's Summer 2024 students:

Brianna LaRose (ENVS)
Ismail Mohamed (BMS)

2023

During the summer of 2023, students participated in a variety of research projects with Biology Department faculty members:

Evolution and paleobiology of African snakes
(Dr. Jacob McCartney with students:  Lilianna Hanning and Catherine Zak)


There are two projects this summer exploring the evolution and paleobiology of snakes. The first project is the description and identification of Egyptian fossils from the time of the dinosaurs, which represent part of the first wave of snake evolution. The study will include physical description and interpretation of the possible lifestyle of the species when alive. The second project is based on a much younger fossil from Tanzania in East Africa. The fossil shows evidence of disease, causing fusion of adjacent bones. This project will study and describe the results of the disease, and attempt to provide a diagnosis of the cause.

Determination of left-right organ asymmetry in the frog Xenopus laevis 

(Dr. Alin Vonica with students:  Brianna LaRose, Kiara Roman, Kayleigh Ronas, and Ismail Mohamed)