Department of Biology News and Blogs

Meet the Ant People – Mike Laabs, Andrea Chernick, and Maxwell Greene of the Seid Lab

Hi, I’m Michael Laabs, a rising sophomore Biology major. I became involved in research after my first semester due to my Freshman Biology professor Dr. Seid’s constant encouragement. I was always willing to do whatever Dr. Seid asked of me, from feeding the ants, to traveling to Florida for fieldwork, and finally to my current job as a research assistant this summer.

Hi everyone! My name is Andrea Chernick. I am a rising senior here at the University. I am majoring in neuroscience and have a minor in biochemistry. I became involved in research after spending intersession abroad with Dr. Seid. I, along with my classmates, spent about a month traveling through Peru for a Tropical Ecology course. It was an amazing and rewarding experience, as I got to see and learn so much about the diversity in different regions from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon. The knowledge I have accumulated from that trip, particularly regarding the variety of ant species and their behaviors, sparked my interest in ant research and ultimately led me to taking a position as a research assistant for Dr. Seid this summer.

Hi, I’m Maxwell Greene and I am a rising senior at the University of Scranton. I am double majoring in neuroscience and applied mathematics. I specialize in simulations utilizing biological mathematical models. My desire to apply my knowledge of math and science inspired me to join Dr. Seid’s lab, where I can put my skills to work on a wide variety of projects.

This summer, we are all working on a continuation of research done by past students. We aim to develop a model utilizing a deep learning algorithm that recognizes and learns what an ant is. This includes identifying the head, thorax, abdomen, and the full ant.

Tracing all ant parts for the training dataset

In order to do this, we have been taking photographs of various ants in a variety of positions against different backgrounds. We upload these photos to a software platform that allows us to create a training dataset for the model. After the photos are uploaded, we trace all the different components of the ant we want the model to learn.

The model identifying full ants

Once we have a substantial dataset of traced images, they are downloaded. Coding software is then used to train our model to recognize ants. We hope that by teaching this algorithm to learn what an ant is, it can be used to track ants in videos and so that tracking can be done in a more natural environment.

 We are all very grateful for this research opportunity. We have learned a variety of computer software skills, laboratory techniques, and ant biology. We cannot thank Dr. Seid and the faculty at the University of Scranton enough for every opportunity they offer to us. We strongly encourage any student at the University of Scranton to become involved with any of the many research projects on campus.

Hello there!

My name is Fahad Ashraf and I am a rising senior in the Honors Program, studying Biology and Philosophy. I have received the Steven R. Sawyer Memorial Research Award, and I am working on a project this summer with Dr. Jong-Hyun Son here at The University of Scranton, exploring the effects of hypoxic injury on central nervous system development in a zebrafish model.

Hypoxic injury, characterized by a lack of oxygen reaching bodily tissues and commonly associated with prematurity, is a major risk factor for neuro-developmental disorders. These disorders often manifest as intellectual disorders and other impairments affecting the brain, such as cerebral palsy. While past work from Dr. Son’s lab and other research studies investigating hypoxia have made great strides, there is still a big gray area regarding the specific mechanisms through which this lack of oxygen during critical developmental periods impairs axon pathfinding and synaptic development. 

This project’s hypothesis is that hypoxic injury and the subsequent activation of hypoxia inducible factor 1-alpha leads to the abnormal expression and effects of cell-surface signaling receptors, such as dopamine D4 receptors. Investigation of this hypothesis involves a few different phases. First, the zebrafish in the lab are placed in breeding conditions and embryos are eventually collected. Next, the hypoxic chamber is utilized to introduce varying degrees of hypoxia to different groups of zebrafish, in different stages of their development. Then, the impact of these conditions is explored through two avenues: HPLC for the monitoring of dopamine; and behavior analysis pertaining to locomotion. Working under the guidance of Dr. Son and building on the work from those before us, our ultimate goal is to help contribute to therapeutic or preventative approaches to the mitigation of neuro-developmental disorders.

I am very grateful for this unique and challenging opportunity at The University of Scranton, and to the Steven R. Sawyer Memorial Research Award for helping to make it possible. As a part of Dr. Son’s lab, I am now able grow as a researcher, and I learn something new every day. The University’s laboratories and advanced facilities allow me to practice and learn several valuable research techniques, such as the daily care and maintenance of zebrafish, the use of a hypoxic chamber, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and high-performance liquid chromatography. In cultivating these research skills and working on this project, I am also growing as a person in ways I could have never imagined. Finally, I am also very grateful to Dr. Son for his mentorship and the many lessons that comes with it. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish and presenting this research in the future. 

My name’s Kayla and I’m a rising senior at Scranton, majoring in Biology with a minor in Business Leadership. This summer I have been interning for Northwell Health, a healthcare network spanning from Long Island, to Manhattan, and Westchester, NY. I have been working closely with my mentor, Pati Quinn, Senior Administrative Manager of the Imaging Service Line of Northwell, located in Lake Success, NY. By 9:00am I’m in the office, working on a capstone project to increase patient experience within the Northwell system. I’m traveling to different radiology sites across Long Island, meeting with administrative directors, staff, and patients, interviewing and surveying to formulate a way to make Northwell even better. Before I know it, it’s 5:00pm and I’m on my way home, processing information and later analyzing results. It’s a jam-packed day, and I’m loving every minute of it!

This internship is a total duration of 8 weeks, 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Thursday, and as a nice bonus, is paid! I definitely have the University to thank for leading me to this internship. As a science major, I always wondered “What’s out there for us?” “Are there actually options for science related summer work?” We constantly see signs around campus pushing us to research and intern and extern, and I thought “I want that too!” So, with a simple Google search, I was shocked at just how many options there were for science students to work over the summer. I immediately sent out my resume, and before you know it, I was on my second round of interviews.

I couldn’t be happier that I found such a great opportunity, and I’m learning something new everyday. My internship at Northwell Health has pushed, even further, my drive to enter the healthcare field after graduation (which is coming up fast!).