Michael Shiaris - US grants

Naphthalene degradation is an excellent model system for studying the relationship of bacterial function, naphthalene degradation, to bacterial community structure and gene exchange in the environment. Naphthalene-degrading bacteria are taxonomically diverse and the catabolic pathways for naphthalene are often encoded on plasmids. In a preliminary experiment, the initial genes of the Pseudomonas putida pathway for naphthalene degradation, nahAB, were used to probe the DNA of naphthalene degrading bacteria isolated from sediments and soils. Most of the soil isolates, about 50% of the freshwater isolates, but only 10% of the estuarine isolates displayed homology with the nahAB probe under highly stringent conditions for hybridization. The results indicate that gene exchange among naphthalene-degraders may be habitat-specific. The objectives of the proposed investigation are to collect and classify naphthalene-degrading bacteria from diverse environments, to determine the extent of homology between nahAB and the DNA of the degraders, and to analyze the relationship among nahAB homology, phenotypic- relatedness of the naphthalene degraders, and habitat distribution. First, a large collection of naphthalene degraders will be established by using a relatively nonselective isolation technique and by obtaining strains from existing cultures. Naphthalene-degraders will be classified by a numerical taxonomy approach. Degraders will be screened for plasmids and their degree of homology with the nahAB DNA probe will be determined by a semi-quantitative slot blot method. Field and laboratory data will be coded, stored in a mainframe computer, and analyzed for possible relationships by multivariate statistical methods. The study will yield baseline information on the ecology of naphthalene degraders and the extent of genetic exchange among bacteria of biogeochemical importance in the natural environment.

This is a proposal to purchase equipment for nucleic acid studies and for the purification and preparation of subcellular components. The equipment will be applied to research topics including gene regulation in plants, translational regulation in spermatozoa, melanization in insects, phylogenetic relatedness of environmentally active soil bacteria, and the effect of deforestation on genetic variation in trees of tropical rainforests. This equipment will also benefit undergraduate and graduate student training, as well as a Secondary School Educator Teacher Enhancement Program.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Teacher-Fellow teams in seven Middle Schools (Harbor, McCormack, Woodrow Wilson, Lewis, and Gavin Middle Schools in the Boston Public Schools; Pierce Middle School in the Milton Public Schools; Dedham Middle School in the Dedham Public Schools) located within the Neponset River watershed are adapting existing instructional materials such as FOSS kits to use a study of the local watershed as a unifying theme for middle school science. Data is being gathered from the school playground, the students' backyards and the larger community surrounding the participating schools. Inter-school information exchange enables the students at each school to relate their situation to the larger picture and the community of schools can collaborate to gain a sense of conditions within the entire watershed. Quantitative examples and activities are being emphasized in order to hone students' mathematics skills, reinforce the existing mathematics curriculum, and demonstrate mathematics' relevance to science and everyday life. Fellows receive a Summer Teacher Training workshop in pedagogy, state and national frameworks, and effective classroom management. Each Fellow is then teamed with a middle school Teacher in a weeklong Summer Environmental Science Content Institute that uses specific examples and hands-on activities within the watershed to strengthen the Teachers' and Fellows' science content knowledge and concept understanding. In addition to their classroom duties, Fellows are required to take a specially developed course, Teaching Environmental Sciences and Technology. (TEST), that provides continuing pedagogical and content training. Five daylong workshops are held for all Fellows and Teachers during the school year to exchange information and experiences and provide additional content and pedagogical material. A 1-credit spring seminar is used as a base to allow one cohort of Fellows to pass on their experiences and knowledge to the next. Special events such as canoe trips, river cleanups, Boston Harbor cruises, and citizen science activities help foster a sense of connectedness across municipal boundaries. WISP will be evaluated internally by a science pedagogy faculty member and externally by the Educational Development Center, Inc. of Newton, MA. The broader benefits of the program accrue to the Fellows, the teachers, the middle school students and the institutions involved. The Fellows are developing the interest, skills, and commitment necessary to be actively engaged in K-12 education throughout their scientific careers. Teachers are gaining environmental science content knowledge and enhancing their ability to teach science curricula and to reflect on their teaching practices. Middle school students are gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for science and mathematics. A set of school districts diverse in size, ethnicity and socio-economics and the University of Massachusetts, Boston are developing a shared learning community focused on common needs and shared resources.

Title: A Watershed-Integrated Sciences Partnership (WISP)
Institution: The University of Massachusetts--Boston
PI/co-PI: Robert F. Chen, William E. Robinson, Michael Shiaris, Clara Jennings, and Marilyn Decker,
Partner School Districts: Boston Public, Milton Public, Dedham Public
Funding: $1,497,458 total for 3 years
Number of Fellows/year: 10 Graduate and 3-5 Undergraduate
Grade Band: Middle School
Setting: Urban, suburban
Disciplines: Geosciences, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Sciences

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program is a collaboration of Bunker Hill (BHCC) and Roxbury Community Colleges (RCC), and the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB). The BHCC-RCC-UMB program addresses a significant need in the Boston Area: increasing the numbers of underrepresented community college students transferring to baccalaureate degree programs in the biomedical sciences. The program will achieve this goal by 1) increasing underrepresented students' awareness of biomedical careers and students' confidence in their ability to be successful in a rigorous baccalaureate degree program in the sciences, 2) by improving students' skills and knowledge, especially in mathematics, research techniques, and scientific reasoning, and 3) by increasing the number of underrepresented students who enroll in and successfully complete science courses at the community colleges and who successfully transfer into the biomedical majors at UMB. Eight activities are designed to prepare Bridges students for baccalaureate degree programs in biomedical fields: 1) assessment of students' needs, 2) immersive orientation to the objectives and expectations of the program and to scientific research, 3) intensive and aggressive advising, 4) facilitated study groups and academic tutoring, 5) mathematics workshop, 6) research skills workshop, 7) biomedical research seminars, and 8) mentored research experiences. Also, UMB has several strong collaborative partnership arrangements with the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, who have committed to place our students in cancer research laboratories. They will also help us identify Boston-area scientists who previously participated in Bridges, RISE, MBRS/MARC Programs to be recruited to mentor Bridges Fellows and lead facilitated study groups. BHCC, RCC and UMB are deeply committed to providing post- secondary access for underrepresented students. The institutions have a strong history of collaboration and all have committed significant resources that will ensure the Bridges Program's success. In addition, the proposed Bridges Program will impact the public health of the Greater Boston Area and the nation by increasing the numbers of underrepresented minority students who enter career paths in the biomedical sciences. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]

Microbes living in the plant rhizosphere, the soil in direct contact with a plant's roots, influence nutrient cycling and availability, the plant's susceptibility to disease, and plant growth. Plant roots, in turn, provide resources that support the microbial community, and produce signals that affect plant-microbial interactions. Currently, little is known about the genes and biochemical pathways in plants that influence the development of specific rhizosphere communities, nor the impact that these communities have on the growth, reproduction and competitive ability of plants. Using Arabidopsis thaliana and an important domesticated species, lettuce, and its wild, weedy progenitor (Lactuca serriola), the investigators will identify key genes in plants that affect the microbial communities in the rhizosphere. Specifically, the project will: 1) characterize the composition, successional patterns and robustness of the microbial communities that establish in the rhizosphere of specific plant genotypes; 2) identify quantitative trait loci and candidate genes in the plants that control the differences in microbial populations associated with roots; 3) examine the impact of these plant-microbe interactions on growth and the competitive abilities of plants. This project will cement a multi-investigator research initiative that will enhance student training and engage faculty in multidisciplinary research and teaching. University of Massachusetts, Boston has a high proportion of low income, under-represented minority and first generation college students, and the investigators are dedicated to their training. Research initiatives developed in this project will be integrated into several active training programs aimed at community college students, secondary school teacher training and enhanced undergraduate research experiences. Project results will advance the understanding of how plant-microbe interactions alter the soil quality and growing conditions of plants, and demonstrate the relevance of rhizosphere ecology to a broad cluster of applied disciplines, from sustainable agriculture to restoration ecology and management of invasive species.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program renewal is a collaboration of Bunker Hill (BHCC) and Roxbury Community Colleges (RCC), and the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB). The BHCC-RCC-UMB program addresses a significant need in the Boston Area- increasing the numbers of underrepresented community college students transferring to baccalaureate degree programs in the biomedical sciences. The Bridges program was successfully implemented in 2007. The goals of the Program will be achieve by 1) increasing underrepresented students'awareness of biomedical careers and students'confidence in their ability to be successful in a rigorous baccalaureate degree program in the sciences, 2) by improving students'skills and knowledge, especially in mathematics, research techniques, and scientific reasoning, and 3) by increasing the number of underrepresented students who enroll in and successfully complete science courses at the community colleges and who successfully transfer into the biomedical majors at UMB. Eight activities are designed to prepare Bridges students for baccalaureate degree programs in biomedical fields: 1) assessment of students'needs, 2) immersive orientation to the objectives and expectations of the program and to scientific research, 3) intensive and aggressive advising, 4) facilitated study groups and academic tutoring, 5) mathematics workshop, 6) research skills workshop, 7) biomedical research seminars, and 8) mentored research experiences. Also, UMB has several strong collaborative partnership arrangements with the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, who have committed to place our students in cancer research laboratories. They will continue to help us identify Boston-area scientists who previously participated in Bridges, RISE, MBRS/MARC Programs to be recruited to mentor Bridges Fellows and lead facilitated study groups. BHCC, RCC and UMB are deeply committed to providing postsecondary access for underrepresented students. The institutions have a strong history of collaboration and all have committed significant resources that will ensure the Bridges Program's success. In addition, the proposed Bridges Program will impact the public health of the Greater Boston Area and the nation by increasing the numbers of underrepresented minority students who enter career paths in the biomedical sciences. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program renewal is a collaboration of Bunker Hill (BHCC) and Roxbury Community Colleges (RCC), and the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB). The BHCC-RCC-UMB program addresses a significant need in the Boston Area- increasing the numbers of underrepresented community college students transferring to baccalaureate degree programs in the biomedical sciences. The proposed Bridges Program will impact the public health of the Greater Boston Area and the nation by increasing the numbers of underrepresented minority students who enter career paths in the biomedical sciences.