Learn more about the research opportunities in EWU’s Partners in Science Program
There are seven research projects available for participating teachers in summer 2026 and summer 2027. Please review the projects before applying so you can indicate which project(s) you are most interested in.
Examining the effects of disease and pesticides on honey bees (Apis mellifera) and their gut microbiome
Mentored by Dr. Jeni Walke
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators, but are experiencing substantial population losses, with severe environmental and economic consequences. A compelling approach to pollinator conservation lies in probiotic therapy, which is the use of microorganisms to confer a benefit to the host. Nearly all animals, including honey bees, are host to a collection of microbes that live in and on their bodies, namely, the microbiome, which can play important roles in development, immunity, metabolism, and even behavior. However, it is not known how environmental factors, such as diseases and pesticide exposures, influence the microbiome and thus host health. The proposed research project will evaluate whether disease and pesticide exposure influence the diversity of the honeybee microbiome and will lay the foundation for probiotic development. This research project will provide teachers with a variety of research settings and approaches by merging 1) field work with local beekeepers, 2) laboratory work with cutting edge molecular, DNA-based methods, and 3) computational work with bioinformatics platforms.
Boron-Nitrogen Degradable Polymers
Mentored by Dr. Ashley Lamm
Many plastics that are used today have slow degradation rates, allowing them to persist in the environment and have a chronic potentially long-term adverse effect. In this project, a teacher will explore the development of novel boron-nitrogen (BN) polymers, which are hypothesized to exhibit a more rapid degradation rate compared to conventional plastic materials. We will synthesize and study novel BN-containing polymers, focusing on their synthesis, structure, electronic properties, and degradation kinetics to assess their viability in material applications.
Investigating the early stages of chemical weathering of rocks and minerals
Mentored by Dr. Carmen Nezat
Chemical weathering (dissolution and alteration) influences stream and soil chemistry, releases nutrients such as calcium and magnesium for plant uptake, and transforms landscapes over time. While chemical weathering has been studied extensively in the field and laboratory, the scarcity of geologically young rocks at the surface of the earth limits our understanding of weathering rates during the early evolution of landscapes. Volcanic deposits from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH) provide a unique and extreme environment to study the early stage of chemical weathering rates and its relationship to the chemical composition of young streams. Mentees will gain experience with multiple approaches to investigating rock weathering, including laboratory acid leaching of sediments, spectrometric analysis of leachates, and microscopic examination of sediments using a scanning electron microscope.
Investigation of CSF1R Polysialylation
Mentored by Dr. Jason Ashley
Macrophages are immune cells that perform essential functions in the physiology of nearly every body tissue. Key functions include engulfment of pathogens, coordination of innate immune system functions, presentation of antigens to adaptive immune cells, and maintenance of bone homeostasis. Macrophages differentiate from their monocyte precursors under the control of signaling through CSF1R, a cell surface protein that contributes to both macrophage formation and survival. Our prior research has found that CSF1R is subject to polysialylation, which is an uncommon form of protein modification wherein repeating linear chains of sialic acid sugars are covalently attached to the core protein. The significance of CSF1R polysialylation is unknown, but we hypothesize that it regulates CSF1R activation sensitivity. To investigate this, we propose a two-stage approach where we will first determine impacts of polysialylation in macrophages generally followed by proteomic determination of CSF1R polysialylation sites which can then be manipulated to assess roles of polysialylation in macrophage function that are CSF1R-dependent. The completion of this work will deepen understanding of mechanisms of macrophage function and potentially identify a druggable target (i.e., polysialylated CSF1R) for modulation of macrophage function under a variety of disease states.
Examining the effects of pollutants on the freshwater crustacean model species, Hyalella azteca
Mentored by Dr. Joanna Joyner-Matos
Freshwater habitats are facing increasingly severe challenges, as global climate change exacerbates the consequences of (local) human activities like land use practices and industrial and urban run-off. Understanding the consequences of current water quality conditions and building predictions about future conditions requires the use of “model species.” Generally, model species are easy to collect from field sites, easy to maintain in the laboratory, and easy to evaluate with respect to fitness (survival, reproduction) and “health.” One of the model species established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the monitoring of freshwater habitats is the small crustacean Hyalella azteca (Amphipoda; shrimp-like animals). These amphipods are cultured in the laboratory with commercial spring water and fish food. This species is widely distributed in freshwater habitats, are food sources for fish and waterfowl, and are routes of biomagnification of pollutants to humans. Thus, the EPA and others have explored how H. azteca is impacted by “natural” factors including water temperature, pH, and salinity, and by anthropogenic factors including trace metals, pesticides, herbicides, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals. Despite this attention, there are many unanswered questions regarding the impacts of specific, local habitat conditions on this model species. This research project will provide teachers with the flexibility to explore the water quality topic that is of interest to them. For example, the new formulation of the herbicide Round-Up no longer contains the glyphosate as an active ingredient, but it is unclear whether this new formulation is less toxic than the original formula that was taken off market. The teacher could test whether freshwater crustaceans are negatively impacted by the new version of Round-Up. Previous work under Dr. Matos’s mentorship has explored the responses of amphipods to trace metals, microplastics extracted from face cleansers, road salts, and herbicides.
Construction and characterization of an enhancer-binding protein mutant library of Janthinobacterium lividum
Mentored by Dr. Benjamin R. Lundgren
The bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum produces an unusual, purple-colored compound called violacein. Historically, violacein was used as textile dye for the coloring of fabrics, but in recent years, there has been increasing evidence that violacein is a potent antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agent. Unfortunately, the advancement of violacein as either a textile dye or broad-spectrum drug has been significantly hindered by our poor understanding on the molecular mechanisms surrounding its biosynthesis. The goal of this project is to determine how a family of transcriptional regulators called enhancer-binding proteins (EBPs) contribute to the biosynthesis of violacein, as well as other phenotypic traits, in J. lividum. Bacterial EBPs are a diverse family of transcriptional regulators that control gene expression in response to a wide variety of environmental or cellular signals. Motility, metabolism, biofilms, and the biosynthesis of antimicrobials are just some of the cellular functions known to be regulated by bacterial EBPs. The genome of J. lividum encodes for eight putative EBPs suggesting that it might rely heavily on this family of regulatory proteins to govern expression of key phenotypic traits, including violacein production.
Extraction and definitive identification of active ingredients from over-the-counter medicines: an experiment of forensic chemistry
Mentored by Dr. Benjamin R. Lundgren
One of the most important tasks of the forensic chemist is the definitive identification of a specific molecule originating from a complex mixture. For example, evidence collected from a clandestine lab might include powders or liquids housed in unlabeled containers, drug paraphernalia covered with an oily residue, or an assortment of unmarked pills. Suspecting the presence of a controlled substance, the forensic chemist must be able to adequately separate or extract this molecule such that it can be identified definitively through chromatography and mass spectrometry. The goal of this project is to develop an instructional lab focused on the isolation and definitive identification of active ingredients (e.g., caffeine, acetaminophen, aspirin, pyrilamine) from over-the-counter medicines. Importantly, the design and methodology generated from the project is not only applicable to drug forensic chemistry but also for the trace analysis of paints, inks, fibers, hairs, explosives, etc. This work will be incorporated into Advanced Forensic Chemistry (CHEM 450) at Eastern Washington University. Forensic science is continuously changing and evolving. Therefore, it is imperative that students entering this field can adapt —they must be able identify the uniqueness of a forensic situation and apply their fundamental knowledge to produce a working solution. The developed instructional lab will provide students with the mental framework needed to overcome these challenges.
