Student Research in Science
During the past several years, a number of our science students have conducted original, rigorous research with the supervision and cooperation of our faculty.
Some of those projects are described below.
Chemistry Project
Some students have been involved in the synthesis of phenolic derivatives as potential antitumor agents while others participated in the synthesis, electrochemical and computational study of organic material(s) used in flow cell batteries. Their work has won first prizes at both the campus and regional undergraduate research fairs.
Biology Projects
- Microbiology
A student worked on a mixotropic alga (Chromulina) measuring its ability to ingest bacteria (phagogrophy) and grow phototrophically, individually and in combination. - Mammalogy/Community/Ecology
Two students have collaborated in a study of the effects of white-tailed deer exclusion on the population biology of small mammals (chipmunks, mice and shrews) in the northeastern Pennsylvania forest by collecting and analyzing small mammal capture/recapture data . Both of these students presented well received research posters at Penn State undergraduate research fairs and one of these students will present a poster at the national meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. - Ornithology/Behavior, Physiology
One student conducted research on parental behavior in birds and later presented her work at an International Ornithological Conference in Veracruz, Mexico. Other students have studied migratory songbirds and their ability to fight disease. Students have help capture birds in the field using mist nets and have estimated total plasma protein in the lab and conducted differential white blood cell counts.
Research Equipment
The equipment listed below allows our faculty and students to conduct cutting-edge research.
- 1 UV-VIS spectrophotometer
- 2FT-IR spectrometer
- 3Polarimeter
- 4PicoSpin 45 NMR spectrometer
- 5Electrochemical Analyzer