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Faculty Research in Biology

The Faculty in the TCNJ Biology Department are amazing, accomplished Teacher-Scholars, who not only teach in our classrooms and labs, but are also engaged in research, most often with student collaborators. Here is information on what research our faculty are engaged in, and what tools and techniques are employed in their labs.

Professor Luke Butler, PhD

Research Interests

Ecophysiology of birds, with a focus on seasonal and annual cycles

Effects of natural and human-caused disturbances on wild birds

Tools and Techniques Used

Field work

Lab work

Behavioral analysis

Professor Wendy Clement, PhD

Research Interests

Evolution of plant diversity using phylogenomics
Evolution of fusion in honeysuckles
Plant-insect interactions among plants, pollinators, and their herbivores

Tools and Techniques Used

Lab work and microscopy
Genomics and bioinformatics (using the TCNJ high performance computing cluster)
Field work and studies of natural history specimens

Professor Gary Dickinson, PhD

Research Interests

Marine animal physiology
Structural biology and biomechanics
Biological responses to climate change

Tools and Techniques Used

Microscopy
Biomechanical testing
Larval biology

Professor Curt Elderkin, PhD

Research Interests
Tools and Techniques used

Professor KT Elliott, PhD

Research Interests

Bacterial genetics
Ribosomal RNA
Large mutations

Tools and Techniques used

Molecular biology
Microbiology

Professor Jeffery Erickson, PhD

Research Interests

Maturation of cardiorespiratory control in neonatal animals
Role of serotonin in cardiorespiratory maturation
Serotonin-deficient animal models for SIDS

Tools and Techniques used

Whole-animal measurement of breathing and heart rate
Electrophysiological measurement of neural circuits
Immunohistochemistry

Professor Tracy Kress, PhD

Research Interests

Regulation of gene expression using bakers yeast as a model organism
Coupling between transcription and RNA processing
Functions for prion-like proteins in regulating RNA splicing

Tools and Techniques used

Cell and Molecular Biology
Biochemistry
Genetics

Professor Donald Lovett, PhD

Research Interests

Osmoregulation in crabs
Gene expression
Physiology

Tools and Techniques used

Gene expression
Molecular biology

Professor Sudhir Nayak, PhD

Research Interests

Genetics
Genomics
Bioinformatics

Tools and Techniques used

Genetics
Molecular biology
Bioinformatics

Professor Marcia O’Connell, PhD

Research Interests

Embryogenesis in zebrafish
Maternal control of early development
Translational control of development

Tools and Techniques used

Embryo manipulation and microinjection
Molecular biology

Professor Keith Pecor, PhD

Research Interests

Ecology
Behavior

Tools and Techniques used

Fieldwork
Lab work
Surveys

Professor Nina Peel, PhD

Research Interests

Regulation of microtubules by the post-translational modification glutamylation
The redundancy of function among the five glutamylating TTLL enzymes
The functions of the deglutamylating enzyme CCPP-1 in non-neuronal cells

Tools and Techniques used

Genetics
Microscopy
Molecular biology

Professor Leeann Thornton, PhD

Research Interests

Plant responses to environmental stress, such as heat, drought, cold, and insect attack
Genetic regulation of enzymes that help plants acclimate to environmental stress
Understanding the biological mechanisms of plant stress so that we can predict what food crop varieties are more likely to do well in adverse climate conditions

Tools and Techniques used

Plant growth experiments, comparing normal plants to ones missing certain genes
DNA and RNA extraction and PCR to study gene regulation (molecular biology)
Protein structure and function (biochemistry and computational biology)

Professor Matthew Wund, PhD

Research Interests

Evolutionary ecology
Animal behavior

Tools and Techniques used

Animal behavior experiments
Morphological measurements

 

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