Biology Professors Mentoring Students in Research
November 2008
This fall there are three research projects that undergraduate students in Biology are working on with their faculty mentors.
Dr. Tim Wakefield and four students – 
Jason Colip, Josh Hallenbeck, Teal Oswald-Bauer, and Melanie Fegel - are researching the overall “health” of Sager Creek, a small freshwater tributary that originates from springs on the eastern side of Siloam Springs. Sager Creek runs through the downtown area of Siloam Springs as well as the JBU campus. Sager Creek is also the out
let for the Siloam Springs waste-water treatment plant, which daily deposits thousands of gallons of treated water directly into the creek just before it enters Oklahoma. We are assessing the creek’s health by doing chemical analysis of water samples and by analyzing the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage that is found in the creek bottom. Samples are taken at various locations to determine if the health of the stream is affected by its passage through the city of Siloam Springs, the campus of JBU, and the influx of treated water.
Dr. Brian Greuel is continuing his research project on relating to how gene 
expression is regulated in specific organs and tissues during development. This research is funded by a grant from the Arkansas Idea Network for Biomedical Research. His group is studying a gene called the myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) gene, which is expressed at high levels in the brain and spinal cord of mammals and is associated with various neurodegenerative disorders. This semester, he is mentoring four research students – Chris Carmichael, Jillian Heidlauf, Meghan Guthrie, and Jordan McHone. Current work with undergraduate studen
ts is focused on studying the effects of mutations within a region believed to be important in regulating transcription of the PLP gene. They are also trying to identify the transcription factors that bind to this control region by overexpressing specific transcription factor genes and seeing what impact it has on PLP expression.
The research of Dr. Jennie Tang and her two students – Christa Slagter and Carolyn Skeens –
focuses on understanding the regulation of flowering. In particular, they are studying Arabidopsis thaliana plants that have mutations in genes that may help regulate the flowering process. To examine the role of these genes, Dr. Tang and the students are constructing mutant plants that either overexpress or do not express these genes. They will examine whether these c
hanges in gene expression will alter the flowering process. They are also examining the interaction of genetic mutations by constructing plants with multiple mutations. These plants will be generated by crossing plants with single mutations and then screening the progeny for double mutations using the Polymerase Chain Reaction.