Department of Biology Honours In Info Session 4 Nov, 2019
Important Notes on the Honours Programme: • Honours is a privilege, not a right • Significant time commitment (summer and/or during semester) Calendar Requirements: BSc requirements • 72 credits in Science, at least 30 at 3000 or 4000 level Science Core • 6 credits MATH/COMP ( note : MATH 1111 or 1151 is a prerequisite for BIOL 2701) • 3 credits physical science • 3 credits life science Marks • min 3.0 CGPA in prescribed Honours work • min 3.0 CGPA in all coursework after first year • Thesis grade min “B”
Biology Department Honours (75 credits) • 60 credits as in the Major, including 3 credits from Biol 2701 or 4711 • 9 credits from BIOL 4990, 4903 • 6 additional credits from Biology at the 3/4000 level To apply for admission to honours: • Complete our departmental form found on the Biology website • Once accepted by a supervisor, complete the declaration to pursue honours on the Regsitrar’s office website.
Honours in Biology: FAQs Q . What is it? A. Students work independently on an original research question/problem in collaboration with a faculty member. Q . Do I need to choose my own project? A. No, but you can certainly have input into your project. You need to commit to a supervisor (and vice versa) and together you will come up with your project. Q . Can I work on anything that interests me? A. Your project usually needs to fall within the realm of your supervisor’s research program.
Q . What is the first step? A. Students should make an appointment to visit potential supervisors and ask about their research. Be prepared to tell faculty members about yourself. Q. What are the important considerations in deciding on a project/supervisor? A. You should keep an open mind. Once you take ownership of a project, you may be surprised about how much interests you. You should think about: - how much direct supervision you would like/require. - the working relationship you will have with your supervisor. - your goals. Are you interested in potentially publishing your work? Attending conferences? - the type of research you like to do (e.g. field, lab, behaviour, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, a combination) Q . What is the Time commitment? A. You may have the opportunity to begin research in May and work throughout the summer. Alternatively, some projects can start in September. You should expect to spend approximately 10 hrs/week on thesis-related work.
Q . How are supervisor-student decisions made? A. Once you have spoken to several potential advisors, you should let faculty know if you would like to work with them. You should also let faculty know when you have made a commitment. Faculty talk to each other to try and place students appropriately. You must fill out a form by the final day of classes in December indicating your top three choices. Q . What is BIOL 4903 A. As an Honours student, you register in BIOL 4990 (Thesis = 6 credits) and BIOL 4903 (3 credits). Both are year-long courses. BIOL 4903 (Current Advances) usually meets weekly for either class or a department seminar. You engage in thesis-related work (e.g. seminars, discussions). Q . How am I graded? A. You receive a grade for 4903 from the 4903 instructor based on the work you do in this course. Your 4990 grade comes from your written thesis (60% supervisor, 20% committee member) and a presentation you give on Honours Day in April (20%).
The following faculty members are taking honours students in 2020-21 Biology Faculty Associate Members Dr. Campbell Dr. MacCormack (Chem/Biochem) Dr. Crosby Dr. Popp (Geog & Env) Dr. Hamilton Dr. Waller (Chem/Biochem) Dr. Kaczmarska Dr. Liefer Dr. Litvak Dr. Lloyd Dr. Morash ISRG – Independent Student Research Grant Applications due ~ 31 January 2020
Brie ief summaries of faculty research in interests:
107 Gairdner Remote Sensing of dcampbell@mta.ca Mudflat Productivity 2-4 honours possibilities 2020/2021 Many research visitors & exchanges Students gain transferable skills in -Quantitative thinking -Data management & Analyses (R) -Project management -Writing Reactive Oxygen Stress Students usually publish Recent students have progressed to: -graduate school -MBA -Public Health Photoperiods in the Arctic Ocean -instrumentation companies Oceanic Low Oxygen Zones -health professions Coastal Eutrophication -environmental policy... (mberthold@mta.ca) Grit valued over Grades nomar@mta.ca mktanton@mta.ca aamaccormack@mta.ca
Dr. Karen Crosby Neural Regulation of Appetite in Rats Dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus Paxinos & Watson (2009)
Possible Research Questions • How does stress affect synaptic function in the dorsomedial hypothalamus? • Patch clamp electrophysiology using live rat brain slices • How does the satiety hormone cholecystokinin suppress appetite? • Recovery surgery in rats, injections of drugs into the brain
Honours Students • I plan to take on 2-3 Honours students • Highly motivated, hard-working, collaborative • Funding opportunities: • New Brunswick Health Research Foundation Summer Studentship • Independent Student Research Grant
Research in the ACE (Aquatic Chemical Ecology) Lab • The biochemistry and physiology of aquatic microbes • The effect of microbial communities on aquatic consumers and global processes • Microbial biotechnology to clean polluted waters and produce sustainable products Cellular processes in microbes Global Aquatic Ecology Biogeochemistry
Honours opportunities in the ACE Lab DNA Project 1: Phosphorus dynamics in marine N u c l e u s phytoplankton RNA Phospholipids • Using new methods to study polyphosphate, a globally D i a Surface P t o important and poorly understood molecule m c e l l Polyphosphate • Exploring how a variety of phytoplankton species use phosphorus, the ocean’s ultimate limiting nutrient • New biotechnology for wastewater remediation Project 2: Community ecology of mudflat microbial food sources (w/ Dr. Hamilton &Dr. Campbell) • Using chemotaxonomy to examine intertidal mudflat biofilms that support migratory birds • Field sampling and manipulative experiments in Fundy mud!
Honours opportunities in the ACE Lab Project 3: Origins of harmful algal blooms in New Brunswick lakes (w/ Dr. Kurek) • Paleoecology of NB lakes to understand why toxic blooms are increasing • Field work in remote NB lakes to sample phytoplankton, zooplankton, and water quality and to develop new monitoring tools Project 4: Ecosystem impacts of glyphosate herbicides (w/ Dr. Jesse Popp) • Exploring impacts of glyphosate spraying after logging on terrestrial and aquatic communities • Collaborating with indigenous communities in Ontario and applying traditional knowledge to field studies • Rugged fieldwork in Ontario forests
1. Cryobiology of sturgeon germplasm 8. Sexual dimorphism in sturgeons Litvak Lab 2. Xenotransplantation. 3. Development of sperm and eggs in surrogates. 4. Opens up ability to do more work on sperm/egg interactions, sperm-to- 7. Spatial ecology of egg ratios, tests of sperm quality and juvenile and Atlantic modeling sturgeon 5. Effect of yolk and lipid quality on visual development, larval growth and survival-- 6. Stable isotopes — ecology Zebrafish and as a forensic tool to catch poachers and stop illegal trade in caviar
Comparative Physiology Evolution of hypoxia/thermal tolerance Mitochondrial physiology Cardiac vs. skeletal muscle physiology Dr. Andrea Morash amorash@mta.ca
Shorebird and coastal ecology Dr. Diana Hamilton (dhamilto@mta.ca)
Possible projects • Shorebird movement, duration of stay and habitat use in coastal NB • Capture, tag, radiotrack a variety of species, behaviour and diet work • Primary productivity on mudflats • Quantify primary production and standing crop of diatoms, examine aspects of ecology of biofilms (in conjunction with Drs. Campbell and Liefer) • Intertidal community ecology • Examine top down and bottom up factors, including primary production, influencing intertidal systems.
Helpful traits in honours students in my lab • Interest in field ecology, lab analytical techniques, quantitative analyses, and publishing results. • Comfort with strange hours, hard work, unpredictability. • Happy working in groups. • Good birding skills or interest in learning, fondness for mud and things that live in it. If interested in working in my lab, please contact me. I will put you in touch with current and former lab members.
T112 F+ 100bp ladder O+ T101 F+ O+ Vett Lloyd Tick-vectored diseases/Lyme disease Zoonoses Molecular genetics
Potential honours projects: - 2 honours positions - Summer funding likely available but either May or Sept. start is acceptable - Projects all involve and molecular genetics (PCR and friends). Some interaction with Lyme patients and/or the public may be required for some projects - Independent studies students are also welcome
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