Connors Lab Update 2020

As a new faculty member at CMU, the funds from last year’s BIOSINQ helped lay the foundation of my undergraduate research program here in the Biology Department. Broadly, my research lab is investigating the ecological physiology of small mammalian herbivores. Specifically, I am testing the commonality of temperature-dependent toxicity, or the phenomenon whereby warmer ambient temperatures increase the potency of plant toxins ingested by woodrats or packrats.  BIOSINQ funds were used to purchase consumable supplies for field work and remote HOBO temperature dataloggers.  These supplies were used by my research students, Jacob Kernc and Jada Mulford, to profile environmental temperatures in biologically relevant microhabitats of local woodrats.  My previous research suggests that access to cooler microclimates could mitigate negative physiological effects of increased plant toxicity.  Therefore, these BIOSINQ funds were instrumental to successfully start a long-term ecological study while also providing field-work experience to multiple undergraduate students.

Thank you, donors, for supporting authentic research experiences for students and basic research activities in biology here at CMU!