Project Description:

My research program is dedicated to finding solutions to pest management for specialty crop producers. In particular, we work with small and diversified farms to improve sustainability, with a focus on insect management. I am currently looking for a student with engineering experience who can help develop and deploy a remote monitoring tool to capture insect behavior in protected culture vegetable production. The aim is to monitor events such as pollination and predation so that we can achieve multiple goals: 1. identify the community of beneficial insects that are inhabiting protected culture systems, 2. quantify the amount of pollination and predation happening in the system, 3. improve the efficiency of augmentation biological control through the quantification of services provided by predators added to the system.

Many of these events are rare or happen during the nighttime, making it difficult and time-consuming for people to observe and document. It is crucial that we develop and implement technology that can serve as our 'eyes in the field' to efficiently capture these events and then the software to analyze the data we gather.

Optimizing pollination and biological control of insect pests are important steps for improving the sustainability of food production. Currently, augmentation biological control is a promising tool, but has limitations as we are unable to accurately evaluate its efficacy, and therefore optimize the practice. My entomological team is excited to work with someone who has engineering and computer programming skills to help complete our efforts. We work with a very motivated and engaged group of farmers who are dedicated to increasing the local food supply and willing to try new techniques and strategies to improve their farming practices. This work is fulfilling because of the immediate impacts that are seen when farmers are implementing our recommendations.

The student would be contributing to the design, build, and implementation of the technology. They would be supported by a group of entomologists and horticulturalists who can help fill in the gaps around insect and plant biology. We have a large research farm available where the initial deployment of the technology will occur and a network of 18 farmers in the state of Indiana who are collaborating with us on these efforts. We look forward to building our team and learning from one another in the process.

Requirements:

-Experience with building circuits and video monitoring equipment (i.e.H59 raspberry pi cameras or a similar technology)
-Experience with video analysis and computer programming
-Experience developing/assembling remote power sources (solar panels/battery powered devices)
-Interest in Agriculture/Entomology
-Desire to work with farmers to develop tools for increasing farm efficiency and sustainability

Project Description:

Altered circadian rhythms and sleep patterns are a hallmark of both aging and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Disruptions in circadian behaviors are observed at an early stage of AD and emerging evidence suggests that these might not simply be a symptom of disease, but could also contribute to pathogenesis. Notably, these disruptions in circadian behaviors are also observed in both aging Drosophila and in fly models of AD, indicating that Drosophila provides a genetically tractable model system in which to identify the conserved mechanisms underlying AD-associated circadian disruption. Circadian rhythms are controlled by a molecular clock that consists of a transcription-translation feedback loop that requires the rhythmic deposition of chromatin marks for its proper regulation. The deposition of these chromatin marks is mediated by enzymes that use key metabolic intermediates as substrate, providing a connection between the metabolic state of a cell and its epigenome. During aging, we and others have observed changes in the metabolic pathways that produce the donor molecule required for histone and DNA methylation, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) – referred to as one-carbon metabolism. In the aging Drosophila head, we observe changes in one-carbon metabolism including an increase in levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), which inhibits the activity of methyltransferases. Similar changes in SAM and SAH levels have been reported in clinical samples from AD patients, suggesting that these metabolic changes are a common feature of aging and neurodegenerative disease in both flies and humans. In our lab, we focus on the connection between metabolism and circadian gene expression in the eye with the hypothesis that age-related changes in one-carbon metabolism alter the methylation capacity of cells in the aging eye leading to epigenetic changes that disrupt circadian gene expression. In both flies and mice, the circadian clock is necessary to prevent age-dependent retinal degeneration, suggesting that disrupting the rhythmic gene expression associated with aging enhances the risk of retinal degeneration. In this project, we propose to expand these studies into the context of AD by testing if AD-associated tau, like aging, lead to changes in one-carbon metabolism that alter the methylation capacity of cells leading to epigenetic changes that disrupt circadian gene expression. Based on our preliminary data, we will focus on glycine N-methyltransferase (Gnmt), which controls the ratio of SAM to SAH in flies, and is upregulated during aging and in our fly model of AD (using tau). Notably, Gnmt plays a similar role in one-carbon metabolism to that of an enzyme that is also upregulated in the brains of AD patients. We will determine how AD-associated tau alters circadian gene expression, one-carbon metabolism, and histone methylation, and use genetic approaches to test if Gnmt is necessary and sufficient to explain the impact of tau on circadian behavior. These studies will provide the basis for expanding our work on metabolism, epigenetics, and circadian behavior from the eye into the context of neurodegenerative disease with a particular focus on AD. Students will learn Drosophila genetics, perform RNA-seq and CUT&RUN experiments, and learn how to analyze data (bioinformatics).

Requirements:

No prior experience is required, but a background in genetics and biology course-work would be helpful. Prior bioinformatics experience could be useful, but is not required.

Project Description:

For decades, corn and soybeans have dominated Midwestern agriculture, and farmers in the region have become world-class specialists in producing high yields of high-quality. However, in biological systems—and economic and social ones—resilience is rooted in diversity. Diverse Corn Belt (DCB) is a five-year project that brings together dozens of research partners with farmers and other stakeholders throughout the community and value chain to create new, diverse, resilient frameworks for Midwestern agriculture—a diversified Corn Belt that will be more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.

The project is looking for an applied economist to model consumer preferences from farming systems that use sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Specifically, we want to investigate how plant-based foods and foods that carry labels conveying sustainability are attractive for consumers in the US. We will measure demand, preferences, and willingness-to-pay for these products.

Requirements:

Desired experience: statistics, economics, data science skills.

Project Description:

In the United States, Indiana ranks in the top five in production of pumpkins, watermelons, peppermint, and tomatoes. However, these crops are susceptible to interference from weeds- resulting in reduced yield and quality and delayed harvest. The Horticulture Crops Weed Science Lab conducts integrated weed management research to understand weed biology and weed-crop interactions and develop management strategies for Indiana farmers. This research and outreach to farmers improves the sustainability of production horticulture in Indiana and beyond.

Requirements:

-Training and/or course work in plant sciences (horticulture, agronomy, and/or botany)
-An interest in field research and a desire to work outdoors
-An ability to effectively communicate with others
-An ability to work as a team and independently