UC Biologist Receives NSF Grant for Research on Eye Organization
The National Science Foundation has recently awarded a grant to McMickens Department of Biological Sciences Professor Elke Buschbeck to support her research on a strangely organized eye, which is unique among all known eye types.
Buschbecks research is based on the study and comparison of the larvae of Sunburst Diving Beetles and fruit flies. The larvae of the Sunburst Diving Beetle are a highly specialized, visually guided predator. The eyes of these beetles have unique properties and are structurally and functionally sophisticated, which raises the question of how this eye organization may have arisen developmentally.
Buschbeck is the principal investigator for this research, which she will be conducting in collaboration with co-researcher Tiffany Cook from Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. The two received this grant as a result of their complementary strengths in probing fundamental gene function and investigating optical organization. Sunburst Diving Beetle larvae have functionally novel eyes, but how such novelty forms could potentially be understood by using the powerful genetic framework of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies).
Buschbeck and Cook use these two organisms in parallel to test for the generality of developmental patterns. Specifically the project will use RNAi knock downs in beetles, and fruit fly molecular genetics to attempt to establish how eye development genes influence conserved and/or derived aspects of eye organization.
Buschbeck also has long had a collaborative relationship with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She contributed to a graphical display that was posted at the zoos beetle exhibition, highlighting her research findings on the beetle larval eyes. In addition to this recent grant, Buschbeck has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation since 2002.
Related Stories
From literature to AI: UC grad shares career path to success
April 23, 2024
Before Katie Trauth Taylor worked with international organizations like NASA, Boeing and Hershey, and before receiving accolades for her work in the generative AI space, she was in a much different industry – English and literature. Taylor earned her master's in English and Comparative Literature in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences. She completed her educational journey at Purdue University with a doctorate degree in rhetoric and composition. After working as a graduate assistant at Purdue and UC, she became a research professor at Miami University. It might seem from there that her career was set—perhaps a tenured professorship or a university administrative position. That might have been her path, but Taylor had her eyes set on different goals. So how did Taylor transition from literature and composition to tech entrepreneurship? She enjoys sharing that part of her story.
WVXU: Why is part of Green Township called Dent?
April 23, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences professor tells WVXU that Ohio's glacial past might explain how Dent got its name.
Local 12: Local universities open Taylor Swift courses
April 22, 2024
In the lead up to the release of Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," several media outlets covered classes offered at UC that focus on the singer's music and poetry. UC offers three classes that cover the pop icon: a general music course at CCM and two classes at A&S.