Karen Beljan, BS '05, Environmental Engineering
Beljan, of Eden, New York, evaluated remediation alternatives to improve the water quality of Onondaga Lake, ultimately helping to develop a method to aerate the lake that would improve the water and ecosystem.
(Photo: KC Kratt, MFA '84)
"Flowers" of sunflowers are not actually flowers at all, but rather compressed heads (or capitula) of hundreds of flowers with specialized functions and morphologies. The outer, showy "petals" are in fact entire sterile flowers that are characterized by highly extended petals. The inner flowers (the dark "eye") are actually hundreds of tiny flowers that are bisexual with short, symmetric petals. Together, the sunflower capitulum mimics a single flower in terms of pollinator interaction - the pollinator is attracted to the showy "petals", whereafter it is drawn into the center, just as in real flowers.
Our lab studies how these different flower types are genetically regulated to develop in such an organized manner within the same genotype. We use the sunflower relative Gerbera as our model system. Gerbera is a common cut-flower plant, with many genetic resources available.
- This project will involve assisting other project members in preserving and sectioning material, and studying gene expression events using in situ hybridization techniques along with microscopy.
Note: A significant part of this research may take place at New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, 701 Ellicott Street, Buffalo
Date Open: Apr 15, 2009 to Dec 30, 2012
Suggested Skill Set: General cell and molecular biology (hands-on experience preferred); basic organismal biology; knowledge of botany preferred.
Compensation: Credit, Voluntary
Professor(s): Victor A. Albert (vaalbert@buffalo.edu)
Department: Biological Sciences
Address: 637 Hochstetter Hall; NYS Center Of Excellence In Bioinformatics, B4-320
Phone: 645-2363x166; 881-7823
Website: http://biology.buffalo.edu/Faculty/...