Students who are interested in applying, see resources here http://ur.umbc.edu/home/getting-started-in-research/and contact Janet McGlynn at mcglynn@umbc.edu.International Students who are interested in a summer research program may refer to this document : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14-Gu0u8aTdq3AplVtVuaeur0OYjRdTVdrjXWGjzP1fI/edit?rm=full#gid=0
The murky waters at Abraham’s Creek at Marine Corps Base Quantico have the potential to provide a solution to the problem of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) entering the food chain.
The creek is the location of a year-long study conducted by scientists at University of Maryland Baltimore County and funded by the Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP).
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the scientists made their fourth visit to Abraham’s Creek to collect 12-inch core samples of the sediment at the creek bottom. They also deployed 16 square sheets of polyethylene plastic throughout the creek to collect PCB particles in order to measure their prevalence.
PCBs are stabilizing, long-lasting chemicals that were used in many products prior to being banned in the 1970s, explained Dr. Kevin Sowers, Professor at UMBC’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology and one of the scientists on the team.
“There are lots of sources of PCBs,” Sowers said. “They were used in paints, in caulks, in carbonless copy paper, in oil to reduce its flammability.”
The team identified the Abraham’s Creek site with input from ESTCP. It’s not clear what caused the levels of PCBs in Abraham’s Creek, but Sowers theorises that decades-old pesticides are the culprit. PCBs were also used as extenders in pesticides.
PCBs are primarily exposed to the ecosystem through clams, snails, and worms that live in muddy sediment, explained Dr. Upal Ghosh, Professor of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering at UMBC, another member of the team.
“Fish then eat these small animals. Therefore, human exposure to PCBs is often through fish,” he said.
Ghosh and Sowers said that PCBs are probable carcinogens, because there is evidence that rats develop cancer when exposed to high levels. PCBs are also teratogens (agents that disrupt the development of a fetus in the womb), endocrine disrupters, and neurotoxins. They do not, however, affect the physical environment.
“If we can block the availability of the PCBs to the food chain, that’s more relevant than getting the overall levels down,” Sowers said.
The team has discovered a potential way to accomplish this, using a combination of carbon and helpful microorganisms.
“The PCBs absorb to the carbon, kind of like what a Brita filter does when it filters water,” Ghosh explained.
Anaerobic microorganisms, which do not require oxygen for breathing or growth, are then introduced.
“PCBs are made up of chlorine attached to two rings of benzene,” Sowers explained. “The anaerobes use the chlorine in the PCBs to respirate. Once they’ve clipped the chlorine from the benzene rings, aerobes — organisms that require oxygen — can then degrade the chlorine.”
These methods worked in the lab, and the team hopes they will work in the real world as well.
Earlier this year, the team set up four plots in Abraham’s Creek — a control area and three test plots. They treated one of the test plots with activated carbon and one with carbon and microorganisms. At their visit last week, they pulled core samples from the different plots and distributed polyethylene sheets to absorb the PCBs and measure their levels. They will return in October or early November to collect the sheets. After that, it will take about 30 days to process the data.
Pending the results, the goal is to write a peer-reviewed paper for submission to an environmental journal.
— Writer: auphausconner@quanticosentryonline.com
Name: Allie Mann
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Minority Health Disparities REU
Position Title: UNL SRP Scholar
Major(s)/Minor(s): Psychology, Gender and Women's Studies
Expected Graduation Year: May 2017
Briefly describe your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.
The Summer Research Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has given me the opportunity to work on my own independent research project for the summer with my mentor, Dr. David DiLillo. At the start of the summer I took a seminar-style class on Exploratory Social Network Analysis for two weeks, and for the remaining eight weeks I worked with my mentor to apply this methodology to my field of psychology. My final project used this new methodology to explore relationships between clusters of risk factors for sexual victimization. At the end of my experience I will have presented my research at the UNL research symposium. Aside from my own research, I had the opportunity to work closely with several graduate students on their own ongoing studies, some of my tasks included data coding, data cleaning, and attending lab meetings.
Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.
I started my search for a summer research experience on the research page on myUMBC. From there I started an extensive internet search and compiled a list of about 20 programs that I could apply to. The materials I needed in my application included a resume, personal statement, and unofficial transcript. I used the career services center to help me review my resume, and I recruited a professor in my field to help me draft a personal statement. There was no interview required for the program at UNL, but several other programs on my list did require a phone interview.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work independently and really get involved in the research process. I want to pursue a career in research, so this was really a good taste of what that is really all about. Also, the program did a lot of preparation for graduate school, which makes the daunting process of applying seem more attainable!
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
Sexual assault is an epidemic in the United States. My research was about understanding the relationships between symptoms of sexual victimization. Understanding these relationship can have serious impacts on treatment and intervention for survivors. The relationship that I found has stirred discussion about more thorough research in the lab in the future, which will help women and men who have survived various forms of sexual assault get the help that they need.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Start early! Don't be intimidated, all types of students can get these experiences.
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]]>Are you an undergraduate student looking to conduct your own research in materials science and engineering over this summer break?
Look no further!
Clemson University is looking for undergraduates students who are interested in conducting engineering and scientific research over the course of ten-week program. The program is designed to help students have a positive research experience and to provide an opportunity to connect with other researchers and industrial entrepreneurs through various social activities.
· Application Deadline – February 1, 2016
· Experience Begins – May 22, 2016
· Experience Ends – July 30, 2016
Benefits:
· Stipend- $5,500 over 10 weeks
· Free housing
· Travel stipend ($500)
Eligibility:
· Students at all levels of their undergraduate work and from a variety of majors are sought for this program.
· Must be a US citizen or permanent US resident.
· Priority will be given to students who have at least a 3.5 GPA and who have not had a research experience within an REU program.
· All participants must be currently registered at a two- or four-year college, and may not have received their Bachelor's degree prior to January 2017.
· Women and members of demographic groups traditionally under-represented in engineering are particularly encouraged to apply.