UM Rosenstiel School’s Aplysia Summer Research Program Heats Up

July 20, 2009 — Virginia Key — Scientists at the National Resource for Aplysia, located on the campus of (UM) University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, received an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus grant from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant, for $82,128, will allow the Resource to provide summer research experiences and training to undergraduate students and middle and high school science teachers, and will enhance ongoing research at the facility. The summer research experience and training program will run throughout the summers of 2009 and 2010. This program will be directed by Senior Resource Manager Thomas Capo, UM Marine Biology and Fisheries Associate Professor Lynne Fieber and Professor Michael Schmale, scientific director of the Resource. The team will use the award to hire two undergraduate students and two science teachers (middle or high school) each summer. The summer research experience will focus on improving egg quality. The students will spend 8-12 weeks and science teachers 6 weeks learning methods for experimental design and hypothesis testing.