We offer a summer internship program for undergraduate students who are
both highly qualified and motivated toward graduate study. In this unique internship program,
students will
Participants are expected to gain invaluable research experience and skills needed for success in graduate school and a career in science.
Applicants must be committed to pursuing graduate study, in their junior or senior year, willing to relocate to either The Ohio State University main campus in Columbus or The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center campus in Wooster for this ten-week summer program, and must provide the following application materials: a copy of academic transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, recommendation forms from 3 undergraduate professors, and a 1- page statement of scientific and professional interests and goals, including how they match one or more of our specific internship opportunities, written by the applicant.
We will begin reviewing applications during January and continue until the internships are filled. Please make every effort to have your application materials submitted as soon as possible.
Checklist for Applicants:
The following internships are available for summer 2001 (more information on the mentor and the research program is available by clicking the mentor's name and project title):
Research Area: Molecular entomology
Faculty Mentor: David L. Denlinger
Project Title: Molecular mechanisms regulating insect overwintering
Research Skills Taught: Cloning and expression of genes related to insect dormancy, basic skills
in insect physiology and molecular biology
Research area: Host-parasite interactions
Facuty Mentor: Parwinder Grewal
Project Title: Synergism between entomopathogenic nematodes and a chloronicotinyl insecticide
against white grubs
Research Skills Taught: Field experiment design and layout, application of biological control
agents, turfgrass/golfcourse research, and insect pathology.
Research Arena: Ecotoxicology and the environment
Faculty mentor: Frank Hall
Project Title: Characterizing toxins in the environment
Research Skills Taught: Utilizing wind tunnel, identify and characterize toxins in/on target and
non-target plants/organisms, modeling insect behavior and toxin encounter processes,
experimental design and data analysis.
Research Area: Plant physiology / Chemical ecology / Plant-herbivore interactions
Faculty Mentor: Dan Herms
Project Title: Physiology and biochemistry of chemical defenses of plants to herbivores
Research Skills Taught: Stress physiology of plants including photosynthesis and carbon
allocation, gas chromatography of natural plant chemicals, insect bioassay procedures, insect
nutritional ecology.
Research Area: Insect vector molecular biology
Faculty Mentor: Saskia Hogenhout
Project Title: The spiroplasma genome project: mechanisms of pathogenesis on insects and
plants
Research Skills Taught: Bioinformatics, DNA isolation, PCR, cloning, DNA sequencing,
phylogenetic tree construction, and microscopy.
Research area: Behavioral ecology and host plant resistance
Facuty Mentor: Casey Hoy
Project Title: Colorado potato beetle behavioral responses to potato alkaloids
Research Skills Taught: Bioassay design and analysis, computerized image analysis of insect
feeding and movement, quantitative genetics.
Research area: Subterranean termite biology, ecology, and control
Facuty Mentor: Susan C. Jones
Project Title: Survey of the termites of Ohio
Research Skills Taught: Basic skills relating to household and structural insects and their control,
termite identification, biological sampling, scanning electron microscopy, data analysis.
Research area: Integrated Pest Management
Facuty Mentor: Joe Kovach
Project Title: Use of refelective mulches to manage tarnished plant bug populations in
strawberries
Research Skills Taught: Field experimental design, data analysis, poster presentation
Research Area: Dust mite biology & control
Faculty Mentor: Glen Needham
Project Title: Prevention of Dust Mites in Homes of Asthmatics
Research skills: use antibody to detect presence of mites in homes; do basic research on dust mite
biology using a microscope; develop interpersonal skill to interact with asthma patients in a
clinical trial.
Research Area: Insect chemical ecology
Faculty Mentor: Larry Phelan
Project Title: Chemical mediation of host-finding by plum curculio
Research Skills Taught: field trapping, experimental design and statistical analysis, analysis of
plant volatiles by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy
Research Area: Honey bee behavior, hive management, and foraging behavior
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James E. Tew
Project Title: Honey bee foraging behavior for pollination efficiency
Research Skills Taught: Experimental design, honey bee biology and behavior, parasitic mite
identification and honey bee pathology.
Research Area: Biological control
Faculty Mentor: Celeste Welty
Project Title: Enhancement of stigmaeid predatory mites in apple orchards.
Research Skills Taught: Biological sampling, experimental design, statistical data analysis, mite
identification.
Molecular mechanisms regulating insect overwintering, David L. Denlinger
We recently identified several genes that are specifically expressed in the brain during insect
diapause (dormancy). Our current work involves characterization of these genes and monitoring
their expression patterns in relation to diapause and cold tolerance. Our goal is to determine
what genes are being turned on or off during diapause and to see how these genes work together
to bring about an arrest in development. The intern will work closely with other lab members and
in the process will be exposed to modern molecular techniques in insect research. The model
system used for these experiments is the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis, a species that
overwinters as a pupa in response to short daylength.
Synergism between Entomopathogenic Nematodes and a Chloronicotinyl Insecticide against
White Grubs, Parwinder Grewal
My program encompasses ecosystem level approaches to turfgrass pest management. In this
particular project you will study the interactions between black cutworm larvae and insect-
parasitic nematodes in turfgrass microcosms. Studies will focus on population dynamics of the
worms and the nematodes. The specific questions addressed will include, (i) how the nematodes
find the cutworms in turf canopy? (ii) What are the optimum environmental conditions for
maximum nematode activity? (iii) how, when, and how many nematodes to be to applied for
effective control of the cutworm? (iv) do the nematodes recycle in the infected worms? This
project will provide training in experimentation in behavioral ecology, biological control, and
parasitology. In addition, training in experimental design, statistical analyses, scientific report
writing, and poster presentation will be provided.
Physiology and Biochemistry of Chemical Defenses of Plants to Herbivores, Dan Herms
Population outbreaks of plant-feeding insects have been associated with stressful environments.
The objective of our research program is to understand how environmental stresses such as
drought and nutrient deficiency affect the natural chemical defenses of trees through effects on
whole plant physiology. Research opportunities include field studies to determine how stress
affects photosynthesis, partitioning of carbon by the plant to growth and defense, and the effects
of these plant responses on insect herbivores. These studies will contribute to (1) an
understanding of how the abiotic environment affects insect populations, (2) the development of
alternative strategies to pesticides for managing agricultural pests.
The spiroplasma genome project: mechanisms of pathogenesis on insects and plants, Saskia
Hogenhout
Spiroplasmas and phytoplasmas are Gram-positive bacteria and members of the Class
Mollicutes. Mollicutes dramatically differ from other bacteria by their minute size
(0.3 - 0.5 æm), total lack of cell wall and small genomes. Spiroplasmas establish an array of
interactions with plants and insects, ranging from epiphytic to symbiotic to pathogenic. Plant-
pathogenic spiroplasmas are transmitted by phloem-feeding insects, mainly leafhoppers, in
circulative propagative manner to plants and, therefore, have two hosts for replication: insects
and plants. To gain insight into the genetic basis of mollicute interaction with their hosts, we
initiated the sequencing of the complete 1.6-Mb genome of the maize pathogen, corn stunt
spiroplasma (CSS; Spiroplasma kunkelii). Genomic DNA was isolated from a CSS
culture and used for the construction of both restriction and shotgun fragment libraries. Sequence
contigs were obtained with PHRED-PHRAP software and searched against Genbank with the
BLAST algorithm. An updated overview of the genome project is available at the spiroplasma web site. Our data show
that several spiroplasma genes have significant identity to genes from gram-positive
Bacillus spp, Streptococcus spp., and Clostridium spp., but
are absent in other members of the Class Mollicutes, such as Mycoplasma
genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. We expect that the CSS genome-
sequencing project will provide the basis for comparative genomic studies among several
spiroplasma species, and between spiroplasmas and the related vertebrate-pathogenic
mycoplasmas. These studies should aid in identifying genes required for infection of plants and
insects.
Colorado potato beetle behavioral responses to potato alkaloids, Casey Hoy
The goal in agricultural use of insecticides, and now transgenic crop varieties, has typically been eradication of insect pests with high and uniform doses. Plants have evolved to produce their own defensive chemistry, however, and it rarely (if ever) appears in uniformly high concentrations that kill any insects feeding on the plant! The usual scenario is low and highly variable concentrations, at multiple spatial scales, that have a greater effect on insect behavior than direct mortality. My research program is exploring how we can better imitate the use of plant defensive chemistry in agriculture in ways that support biologically-based management of insect pests. We examine the genetics of behavioral responses of insect pests to naturally produced or synthetic toxins and how those responses contribute to or prevent physiological adaptation by the insect. Results are critical to the debate on avoiding resistance to the new genetically engineered crops and long-term to capturing the full benefits of ecological process in agriculture.
Survey of the termites of Ohio, Susan C. Jones
Subterranean termites are the most economically important structural pests in the United States.
They are important pests throughout much of Ohio, with two species of
Reticulitermes reported. However, there has been no systematic study of the termite
species that occur in this State. Considerable overlap in species distribution is expected given the
proximity of Ohio to diverse regions of our country, including the Midwest, Northeast, and
South-central United States. Furthermore, variability in reported swarming seasons (Spring
versus Fall), coloration, and size of alates (winged reproductives) suggests that a number of
species actually may occur here. I also am evaluating whether termite distribution patterns
correlate with soil profiles or other environmental factors. A prospective student would
participate in a comprehensive termite survey throughout the urban and rural areas of Ohio. This
will entail field work and travel throughout Ohio. In the laboratory, the scanning electron
microscope will be used to supplement taxonomic determinations. Welcome to the fascinating
world of termites!!!!
Use of refelective mulches to manage tarnished plant bug populations in strawberries, Joe
Kovach
The tarnished plant bug (TPB) is a major annual pest of strawberries in Eastern North America.
Several alternatives control tactics have been studied to reduce the reliance on pesticides for
managing this pest. Biological control agents that show some promise of TPB control include the
parasitoids, Anaphes iole and Peristenus digoneutis and the fungal
pathogen, Beauveria bassiana. Cultural tactics that reduce TPB densities include
resistant cultivars, good weed management, and vacuuming. One cultural control method that has
provided some control of other heteropteran species, particularly aphids, is the use of reflective
mulches to repel the adults and prevent egg laying. Although it is not fully understood, the mulch
may act as a sky mimic and confuse the adults so they do not land on the plants and lay eggs. If
egg laying is reduced than fewer nymphs are present and less misshapened fruit is observed. The
objective of this study is to determine if surrounding strawberries with reflective mulch will
reduce tarnished plant bug densities and damage. The results of this research will provide us with
more information to help growers further reduce their reliance on pesticides.
Honey bee foraging behavior for pollination efficiency, Jim Tew
Within the past twelve years, three major new pests of honey bees have been introduced into the
US honey bee population. As a consequence of these new pests, in combination with established
traditional diseases, both managed and feral populations of honey bees have declined
precipitously while the demand for commercial fruit and vegetable pollination has increased
significantly. Maintaining healthy, populous hives of bees is of paramount importance within the
honey bee industry. Nutritional and disease control studies are integral in developing new
procedures and recommendations for beekeepers who must contend with these new challenges
and beekeepers must contend with these challenges within very narrow chemical residue
limitations. Pollination behavior continues to be an important area of study. Speciality pollination
of such unattractive plants as hybrid soybeans is particularly challenging for researchers.
Routinely maintaining healthy colonies, in spite of diseases and pests, directly supports my
interest in pollination ecology and the continual development of general hive maintenance
recommendations.
Enhancement of Stigmaeid Predatory Mites in Apple Orchards, Celeste Welty
European red mite (Panonychus ulmi) is one of the most troublesome foliar pests in
commercial apple orchards worldwide. It has several well-studied natural enemies such as the
mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Phytoseiidae), but most natural enemies are suppressed or
eliminated by common orchard pesticides needed to control insects and fungi that attack the fruit.
In working with this pest in a research orchard for the past 7 years, we have noticed a steady
increase in density of another predatory mite, Zetzellia mali (Stigmaeidae). Little is
known about its ecology but it shows promise for biocontrol even when exposed to common
pesticides. Research in 2000 characterized which pesticides Z. mali can tolerate. A
project planned for 2001 will focus on how Z. mali can be transferred to orchards
where it is not found naturally and how it coexists with other predator species.