UBM at CC:
Research Opportunity in Mathematical Biology

What is it?
CC was recently awarded a "UBM" grant from the National Science Foundation to train undergraduate researchers in mathematical biology.  Over the next three years, eight faculty and sixteen students will work on a variety of research problems that involve applying mathematical techniques to biological and environmental problems.  Biology is becoming more quantitative these days, and mathematical biology is one of the hottest areas in science.  We will be recruiting CC students to work on summer research projects and participate in other activities, including independent study and travel to conferences.

Who are we looking for?
We think the ideal time to carry out this kind of research is in the summer between your junior and senior years.  Thus, we are looking for juniors majoring in math, biology, environmental science, or related fields.  Sophomores with strong interest will also be considered.  No previous experience in mathematical biology is necessary.  Your research will push the frontiers of what is known, so the most important characteristics are curiosity, the willingness to take on new challenges, and the ability to play well with others.

What are you commiting to?
Your summer research will require a commitment of 10 weeks.  You will be paired with another student whose skills are complementary to yours.  The two of you will work with a pair of faculty (a biologist and a mathematician).  During the summer you will meet periodically with the other UBM research groups at CC to share your progress.  In addition, we want you to take an independent study course during the spring semester to learn more about the subject area and techniques that you will need.  Finally, you will enroll in a new adjunct course the following fall - this will be a biweekly seminar in which we discuss interesting articles, career opportunities, and host visiting scientists. 

What will you get out of it?
Besides a warm and fuzzy feeling for contributing to the advancement of science?  Well, for starters you will be paid a stipend of approximately $5500 during the summer (the exact amount will depend on IRS withholding requirements).  You and the other students will travel to the annual Society for Mathematical Biology meeting, which is in Toronto next summer (all expenses paid).  You will get to broaden your horizons and find out if mathematical biology is a field you would like to pursue.  You'll get to network with other students, and meet with leading scientists in the field.  Research experience in this area is sure to look good on your resume, whether you go to graduate school or into government or industry.

What is the research about?
There are four projects:

1) Bacterial genetics (faculty: David Brown and Phoebe Lostroh)  2008 and 2010
   
This project will study how Salmonella bacteria "decide" when it is time to invade
host cells.  You will develop a mathematical  model of the network of genes involved in
processing information about the environment and regulating the production of virulence factors. 







2) Owl demographics (faculty: Steven Janke and Brian Linkhart) 2008 and 2009

    This project will study the population dynamics of the flammulated owl, a species of small migratory owls that spend the summer in the Rocky Mountains.  The owls migrate each winter to Central America, and both their summer and winter habitats may be threatened by development.  You will develop mathematical and statistical models to "fill in" some of the missing information about the owl's life history, and predict the impact of habitat loss.







3) Algebraic phylogenetics (faculty: Ralph Bertrand and Amelia Taylor) 2008 and 2010

    Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary history by building family trees.  Scientists take data such as DNA sequences from different organisms, and use them to construct a tree showing the probable relationships among them.  There are several methods for doing this, and they are all computationally intensive and imperfect.  Recently, mathematicians have discovered a new method that uses abstract algebra.  On this project you will help implement this new approach, and apply it to infer the evolutionary and migratory history of humans from Southeast Asia.




4) Plant-insect mutualisms (faculty: Miro Kummel)  2009 and 2010

    Yucca plants are host to a fascinating community of insects: aphids supply food to ants, which protect them from ladybugs.  The communities on different plants are linked to each other through dispersal of the insects.   Little is known about the spatio-temporal dynamics of systems like this: How stable are they?  How do the dynamics on one plant affect another plant? You will develop a mathematical model to address these and other questions.






How can you get involved?
Contact David Brown in the math department to find out more about the overall program, or talk to any of the faculty to learn about their project.  To apply, please send your transcript, a brief (< 1 page) description of your motivation and interests, and a letter of recommendation from a CC professor to David Brown by the beginning of block 4.  Please indicate which project(s) you would be most interested in working on.