The Discovery Projects are done and we are on break!

Hello, everyone! This one's from Cassie, class of 2012...
As the fall semester transitions into winter break, I am really glad to have found time to post to our IBH blog!

The presentations of the IB 270 Discovery Projects were given the week before finals, and they were all very impressive. First off, it was really comforting to know that people outside of our class came to see our presentations. A group of similarly interested people all gathering to see the culmination of our semester's work with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans really made the presentations fun to give. Since this was also a pizza party/presentation hybrid, it was double the fun! From the infection rate of pseudomonas in C. elegans to the chemotaxis of C. elegans in the presence of different alcohols, our Discovery Projects explored a whole range of interesting topics regarding the effects of RNA interference in C. elegans.

For the Discovery Projects, our lab groups had to develop a novel hypothesis regarding the effects of RNA Interference on a gene within the C. elegans genome. At the beginning of the semester, we researched scientific literature in order to formulate our hypotheses, methods, and expected results.Once we had created a solid proposal for the experiment, we started to see how our regular class labs were related to this independent project. With our Mendelian genetics lab, we learned the body morphology of C. elegans, their reproductive systems, and how to classify certain mutant phenotypes. Armed with our knowledge about these soil-dwelling organisms, we then moved onto a DNA lab where we learned molecular techniques such as PCR and DNA sequencing with the Sequencher program. After the completion of the RNA Interference Lab, we had successfully learned how to make NGM (nematode growth medium) plates and then seed those plates with bacteria. We then learned the intricate details of RNA Interference, and how it would be working to knock out the genes chosen for our respective Discovery Projects. These labs were crucial building blocks that guided our projects throughout the semester. Many thanks to Nick and Miranda (our teaching assistants) for preparing those labs for us, and to Professor Whitfield for teaching us everything about C. elegans, RNA Interference, and the research process!

I've never been through a class where everything culminates so fluidly to an important group project presentation. I really felt like I had invested the entire semester in this project. Not only was class time utilized, but time outside of class was a necessity for getting these projects done on time. All of us had the same common goal--to execute this experiment as best as we could, and that meant putting in a ton of extra time. This was perfectly fine with me considering all of the fun times that were had in NHB this semester.

It's the most gratifying feeling to know that all of our fun and hard work intertwined to fabricate our scientific aspirations into a tangible design. Plus, those presentations weren't so scary once I realized that we really were all in this together. I am sure that the rest of my class is as excited for the rest of what the IBH program has to offer for the upcoming semesters. From one semester alone, my outlook regarding a career in biology has evolved from a genuine interest into a sincere passion that I will undoubtedly follow for the rest of my life. With IB 270, we delved further into biological applications, previously unknown details of molecular biology, and a wealth of laboratory techniques. All of the knowledge gained from lecture, lab, our professor, teaching assistants, and each other accumulated into a reserve of inspiration to further explore the biological world. Joining IBH was the best decision that I made at UIUC so far, and I truly look forward to my future academic adventures with the program.

After a long winter break, here we come, IB 271!
Cassie

Greetings from Kibale!

[This summer, like last summer and the summer before that, IB Honors students can be found all around the world. Here, Josie Chambers, UI class of 2010, sends her greetings from Kibale, Uganda where she is spending the summer doing primate research...]

I am writing to let you know that I’m having a wonderful time in Uganda, and that the research project is going well. I am working closely with University of Illinois PhD candidate, Krista Milich, who has helped orient me to logged and unlogged forest regions of Kibale National Park and the red colobus monkey groups that inhabit them. She has been habituating [getting the monkeys used to having people around] and collecting data on six different study groups for the past 8 months. I spent my first month here becoming oriented with the red colobus groups while helping Krista prepare her field assistants for data collection geared towards female reproduction. I am working with all 14 of her Ugandan field assistants, collecting feeding tree information and group scan data to begin assessing how forest degradation impacts female red colobus feeding ecology.

I have additionally hired a field assistant to help me map out home ranges for each of the six groups using GIS technology. My knowledge of Ugandan forest trees is expanding vastly, as well as my ability to identify females based on subtle bends of the tail, and to keep track of behavior of these mid-to-high canopy dwelling monkeys. When I return, I will be analyzing feeding tree and group scan data across the six red colobus groups, as well as mapping out the size and land cover of their home ranges, and eventually submitting a report to Uganda Wildlife Authority. I have had a wonderful time in the field this summer, and I know that the experience I’ve gained will prove to be incredibly important for future research endeavors.

There are constant daily challenges in the forest, such as avoiding falling into deep swamp holes and pulling small biting ants out from underneath clothing; however, spending entire days under the forest canopy with the incredible diversity of Kibale is well worth it, and getting stuck in the swamp multiple times has proved to be quite humorous. The forest primate diversity is particularly remarkable, and I usually see many primate species besides red colobus every day, including chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red tails, blue monkeys, mangabeys, baboons, and L’ Hoests. I have even managed to see one nocturnal primate – a dying bushbaby that I spotted sitting on a trail in broad daylight. I also had the opportunity to track chimpanzees for a day in another region of Kibale forest. There are forest elephants around during certain times of the year that can be quite dangerous, but fortunately they have not been around recently, as they can be very disruptive to completing field work. However, I had the opportunity to see elephants, as well as hippos, lions, warthogs, crocodiles, buffalo, and several bird species when I visited the savanna of Queen Elizabeth National Park in south western Uganda last weekend.

Everyone here is given a ‘pet’ name, which is chosen from a list of 12 names that people are typically called instead of their official name. The name Amooti has been bestowed upon me, which means ‘king’ in the local language, Rutooro. I have picked up a number of Rutooro phrases I like to use in order to attempt to impress the field assistants I work with, but I’m still learning! The food here has been terrific, and generally consists of a wide variety of starchy items, vegetable based sauces, and fruit. My personal favorite is the samosa, a mixture of peas, carrots, and spices, wrapped up in a crispy dough outer layer. There is some interesting local music here, but the majority of songs on the radio come from abroad. In particular, Dolly Parton enjoys widespread popularity in Uganda; however, more understandable figures can be found on any number of decorated items, such as Obama’s face, which can be seen on anything from belt buckles to shoes! Football is by far the most popular leisure activity, and I have enjoyed attending some local matches to cheer on the field assistants.

The people here are wonderful, and I have spent quite a bit of time with the many Ugandan field assistants I work with, whose hard work and vast knowledge of plant species and complicated trail system continue to be essential to my ability to learn about red colobus feeding ecology at Kibale. I have also met a number of other well-established researchers carrying out interesting work at Kibale, including primatologist Dr. Richard Wrangham, director of the Chimpanzee project, and Dr. Colin Chapman, who has been involved in a broad range of conservation oriented research at Kibale for many years. I have had a great deal of companionship from other students staying at the field station for the summer as well, some gaining fieldwork experience and others working at the local clinic or school. Time really flies by here, as there always seems to be something going on, whether it’s a potluck among researchers, weekly trip to town for food and supplies, local football match, or even a Ugandan wedding! I will be sad to leave here in just a week, but I look forward to having the opportunity to share my experiences and pictures when I return!

Best wishes,
Josie