Two ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College scientists have received nearly $373,000 from the National Institutes of Health for first-of-its-kind research into the genetic functioning of bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

The project draws on new capabilities in high-resolution microscopy that make it possible to observe spatial arrangements of RNA in Borrelia burgdorferi, one of four Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease. This study of variations in RNA location and shape could eventually suggest new medical responses to Lyme, which strikes up to 300,000 people in the U.S. annually.

Receiving the $372,639 grant for the two-year project are physicist Travis Gould, an expert in the field of fluorescence nanoscopy, and biochemist Paula Schlax, who researches gene expression in spiral-shaped bacteria, also known as spirochetes, such as Lyme bacteria.

Biochemist Paula Schlax and physicist Travis Gould pose with Gould’s STED super-resolution microscope in Carnegie Science Hall. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

“RNA is an intermediate in the process of cells making proteins,â€� says Schlax, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. “We’re trying to understand generally how production of proteins gets turned on and off when the bacteria move from ticks to mammals and from mammals back to ticksâ€� — changes in the bacteria’s environment that change the shape and location of RNA.

“We know from other bacteria that RNA’s location inside the cell seems to affect how long that RNA lasts — whether it’s near the edges of the cell, or the ends of the cell, or spread out evenly inside. Our hypothesis is that how fast RNA gets broken down, or doesn’t get broken down, probably helps the cell decide which proteins to make when conditions change, such as when the bacteria moves from the tick to a mammal or vice versa.â€�

Variations in protein production could cause variations in the bacteria’s disease-causing capability. “The more we understand that process,� Schlax says, “the easier it is to think about new targets for drugs and new therapeutics.�

Until quite recently, the physical limitations of microscope technology curtailed its usefulness in testing such a hypothesis. The bacteria have a characteristic shape, says Gould: very skinny in relation to length. The length is typically around 20 microns, or millionths of a meter, but the bacteria’s internal diameter is vastly smaller, at about 200 nanometers, or billionths of a meter. (A piece of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.)

“That 200 nanometers is, in the best-case scenario, at the limit of a conventional microscope’s resolution,â€� Gould says. “So a conventional microscope can’t answer these questions about where RNA is within that 200-nanometer cylinder.â€�

But Gould, an associate professor of physics, is an innovator in imaging technologies that use lasers, fluorescing molecules, and other means to attain much higher resolution. For the NIH-funded research, he has adapted an existing ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ microscope that he built and that uses a process called stimulated emission depletion, or STED, to capture images of the B. burgdorferi RNA.

Going from older microscopy technologies to Gould’s newly updated STED “is like putting on glasses for the first time.â€�

Specifically, he added another laser to the instrument that expands its imaging capability from two to three dimensions. Going from older technologies to this latest iteration, says Schlax, “is like putting on glasses for the first time.�

Complementary to the STED technology, the researchers and their students will use a technique called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) that deploys fluorescent probes to specific parts of the “transcripts� that the microbe’s DNA imparts to its RNA.

The research will be the first to identify patterns of transcript localization within B. burgdorferi, and, notably, the first research to use STED microscopy for this sort of localization within any spirochete.

This is significant given the range and impact of diseases caused by such bacteria, including syphilis, yaws, periodontal disease, and leptospirosis, whose effects include kidney failure.

Joining Schlax and Gould in the project are ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students and research associate Anna Bowsher, whose position is funded by the NIH grant. The work entails growing B. burgdorferi microbes in the lab, affixing individual cells to slides, and introducing DNA molecules, complete with fluorescent tags, that are tailored to activate a specific RNA response.

Then the slides will be examined with Gould’s STED microscope, and the results compiled into a spatial-distribution analysis of different types of RNAs. The team hopes that they will have results to report by summer 2020.

The project will involve both thesis students advised by Gould and Schlax and students doing summer research. “These kinds of projects really are great for students to see how science is done,� says Schlax, “and hopefully get their names on some papers and keep them interested in science.�

With the use of fluorescing molecules now standard practice in high-resolution microscopy, STED imaging achieves enhanced resolution through a technique of selectively switching off such molecules. STED is one of a number of so-called super-resolution techniques developed to bypass the diffraction limit, a limit on the resolution of conventional microscopy imposed by the length of light waves.

Gould estimates that all told, there are likely two dozen or so labs equipped with commercially available STED microscopes, and another handful that use custom-built instruments like his.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College has won a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to transform its STEM culture to fully support all students in the sciences throughout their undergraduate years.

With the grant, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ joins 33 colleges and universities selected in 2018 to join the , which aims to catalyze national efforts to broaden participation of students from all backgrounds in the study of science.

At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, the HHMI grant will fund strategies aimed at:

• Transforming the ways that faculty approach their work with students;
• Expanding existing programs for student mentoring and leadership;
• Redefining the first-year science curriculum to introduce research experiences.

“A commitment to access and equity runs deep in our history and mission,â€� said President Clayton Spencer. “A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ offer of admission has always stood as a vote of confidence in a student’s talent and potential to make important contributions to our world. This grant will deepen our capacity and speed our progress toward making good on this promise for all students interested in science.â€�

HHMI is the largest private supporter of academic biomedical research in the U.S., and its funding initiatives and grant choices are considered definitive statements of an institution’s potential for transformative impact.

“What HHMI understands, and what ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ embraces, is that science can only be excellent when its culture supports all students for success.â€�

In accepting the grant, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ becomes part of a national network of colleges and universities committed to making STEM education more inclusive and equitable — especially for students who arrive via nontraditional pathways, including underrepresented ethnic minorities, first-generation students, and working adults with families.

The 33 colleges and universities selected by HHMI in 2018 for the Inclusive Excellence initiative join 24 schools selected in 2017.

“What HHMI understands, and what ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ embraces, is that science can only be excellent when its culture supports all students for success,â€� said Professor of Psychology Kathryn Graff Low, who oversaw the grant process as interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty during the 2017–18 academic year.

STEM culture change

The HHMI grant gives the college’s STEM faculty what it seeks: funding to expand its capacity to effect culture change, said Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Paula Schlax, the principal investigator of the grant.

“My colleagues are interested in and motivated to create an inclusive culture and to support students in ways that traditional science curricula do not,� she said. “We are confident that our strategies, particularly our efforts to design experiences that create a sense of science identity and belonging, will ultimately lead to improved student success in STEM fields.�

The HHMI grant is the third major acknowledgment in as many years of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ leadership in the national effort to achieve greater inclusivity and equity in higher education. The grant also supports the major ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign goal to transform the teaching and learning of science at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, including the creation of an integrated system of science facilities.

Expanded Science Fellows program

In addition to supporting new teaching and learning strategies, the HHMI grant will allow ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ to expand and strengthen its Science Fellows program, currently a first-year-only mentoring program for 12 STEM-interested students, especially first-generation and URM students and students from under-resourced high schools.

The program will double in size, to 24 fellows each year, and fellows will remain active all four years, with expanded opportunities for STEM leadership and learning. Ultimately, this 60-student cohort of experienced STEM leaders and mentors will “help all our STEM students strengthen their sense of belonging and confidence to succeed,� Schlax said.

Research in a student’s first year

The grant will also fund innovative opportunities for students to do scientific research as soon as they get to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Known as First-Year Research Seminars, the new offerings will provide “research opportunities in the intimate setting of a seminar that maximize opportunities for developing relationships with faculty and fellow students,â€� Schlax said.

“They will begin to see themselves as scientists.â€�

Student research is “one of the most important aspects of our curricula,� Schlax said. “It measurably benefits any student.� Yet in higher education, “it is unusual for a first-year student to participate in ‘authentic’ research,� in which a student investigates a compelling research question alongside a professor.

The new seminars will help “build students’ scientific knowledge and toolkits plus their science efficacy, identity, and belonging. They will begin to see themselves as scientists.�

Professor of Chemistry Paula Schlax helps AsiaLuna Patlis ’19 of Baltimore prepare for an exam in Schlax’s office in Dana Chemistry Hall. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

When Professor of Chemistry Paula Schlax first got into teaching, she brought with her a few assumptions about students, the nature of teaching, and the professor-student relationship.

And like any good scientist, Schlax was smart enough to realize that her hypothesis wasn’t quite right and needed revision. The result, she says, made her a better teacher and mentor to her students.

Her care for students has a goal: “to help them get to where they need to go.”

“My teaching really improved when I realized that not all students thought the way I did,â€� says Schlax, who came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in 1998. “I also thought that I could leave teaching and home separate, that students were students — they were just part of the job. It really can’t be that way.”

Over the years, Schlax has found that she “really cares about these students,” and that her care for students has a goal: “to help them get to where they need to go and where they want to go. If I don’t do that, I’m not sure I’m doing a good job.â€�

Schlax is doing more than a good job as evidenced by her winning the 2016 Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award, the college’s signature honor for great teaching, was established in 1985 by a gift from Robert Kroepsch ’33. Nominated by students and alumni, recipients are selected by a committee of previous winners.

A biological chemist, Schlax has studied the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, its genes, and the “switchesâ€� that control them — research that recently earned her a three-year, $345,750 grant from the National Institutes of Health that will also support research opportunities for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students. It’s during those hours in the lab, Schlax says, that students undertake “real science.â€�

“ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is particularly well-poised — with our required thesis and our open-ended laboratories — for us to basically teach students to do research,â€� Schlax says.

“Students can collaborate with us on our research, and honestly everyone in our chemistry department feels that is some of the most important teaching that we do.�

Schlax doesn’t consider herself a standout teacher. She would rather share the spotlight with her chemistry department colleagues, who Schlax describes as an extremely congenial group of professional supporters, mentors, and teachers.

“We have such amazing teachers here in this department,â€� Schlax says, adding that she’s “learned so much” working with her chemistry colleagues Glen Lawson, Tom Wenzel, Matt Côté. and Jen Koviach-Côté.

In fact, when Schlax was told that she won the Kroepsch Award, she didn’t believe it.

Paula Schlax is the 2016 winner of the Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

“It was a complete shock,� she says of the meeting in which Matt Auer, the college’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, told her she was this year’s winner.

“I actually thought that the dean was joking, I really did. … We have amazing teachers in the department and I just didn’t believe him. I really was completely taken aback.�

As surprised as Schlax may have been, her students say she deserves every accolade.

“I have come to know and respect her both as a fabulous professor and a dedicated mentor who truly cares about her students,� says Anna Turner ’18 of Brunswick, Maine, who has taken three classes with Schlax so far.

“From meeting outside of normal office hours, to inviting the entire Short Term class to her house to see her beehives, to offering guidance and empathy to students dealing with nonacademic issues, Paula goes above and beyond to foster growth in her students.�

Schlax hails from a family of educators. Her mother taught special education, her aunt was an art teacher, and her younger brother is, in her words, a “phenomenal� and “superb� high school chemistry teacher. Her brother, in fact, was her first student — even if it was just pretend.

“We used to play in the woods and pretend we were scientists when we were kids, and we played school a lot, too, of course. And since I was older, I got to be the teacher.�

And now, as an adult, Schlax is both a “for real� scientist and a teacher — a dual role that fits perfectly with her passion for creating knowledge and shaping young minds.

“I love science, I love doing research, but ultimately there are very, very few scientists that make such an impact in the world that it’s going to be their lasting legacy,� she says. “As a teacher, you really can influence people, help them find what they’re good at, what they’re not good at, what they like and what they don’t like, and you can make a real difference in a lot of students’ lives.

“For me, that’s really important.�

Caroline Holm ’17, Southern Maine Community College intern Alex Krech, and Anna Berenson ’16, work with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in the lab of chemistry professor Paula Schlax this past August. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Lyme disease is just awful. In addition to being transmitted by disgusting blood sucking ticks, the disease signals its arrival with spreading, bullseye rashes.

It often culminates in joint pain, headaches and other debilitating symptoms, and upwards of one person in five develops long-term symptoms, including chronic pain, vision problems and heart complications.

The three-year, $345,750 grant from the National Institutes of Health will also support research opportunities for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students.

But from a scientific perspective, Lyme disease is fascinating, as ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ chemistry professor Paula Schlax explains. The bacteria that causes it, Borrelia burgdorferi, is unlike any other organism she’s ever studied. “It has features and characteristics that are unlike most other bacteria,” Schlax says.

“It doesn’t require iron to live, and it may be the only organism for which that’s true,” she adds. “Most bacteria have circular chromosomes, a big loop of DNA, but this has DNA that’s linear. We have very little information about how genes get turned on and turned off in this organism.”

Paula Schlax is a professor of chemistry.

Schlax’s study of Borrelia, its genes and the “switches” that control them, has earned her a three-year, $345,750 grant from the National Institutes of Health — funding that will also support research opportunities for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students.

The goal is to better understand how these switches work when the bacteria moves from a tick into a mammal, and from a mammal into a tick.

Although antibiotics often succeed in treating the disease, more than half of Maine’s counties are at high risk for Lyme disease, which is spread by deer ticks.

In Maine, 2014 was a record year for Lyme disease, with nearly 1,200 confirmed cases. The six New England states accounted for 35 percent of the nation’s confirmed cases of Lyme disease.

Every year, roughly 30,000 Americans are confirmed as having been infected with the Borrelia bacteria. But because Lyme disease is often not reported or diagnosed, the actual number of infections could be 10 times higher than that, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“I had a couple friends in college whose mothers got Lyme disease and they both had very, very serious complications from it,” Schlax said. “So it’s always been in the back of my head that this can be really horrible for people.”

Schlax started working with Borrelia when she received funding through Maine INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) in 2009. The Maine INBRE award allowed her to focus on understanding gene regulation in Borrelia.

The infection that causes Lyme disease is activated in the bacteria when it moves from tick to mammal. Understanding how those switches occur — or better yet, figuring out how to stop or alter them — could yield new treatments for Lyme disease, Schlax says.

“The more we understand that, the more likely it is that someone else can use that information when thinking about ways to alter that transmission to make [the bacteria] less effective,� she says.

Schlax’s research examines how the shape of an RNA molecule influences its ability to interact with other molecules in the bacterial cell. In her lab in Dana Chemistry Hall, she and her students will use the grant to monitor how fast Borrelia RNA gets broken down by enzymes called ribonucleases, important information to know when studying how to inhibit the bacteria.

“We’re interested in interactions that are responsible for enzymes that chew up the RNA into little nucleotide pieces,” Schlax says. “How does that work?”

“It’s always been in the back of my head that (Lyme disease) can be really horrible for people.”

Using living cells, Schlax and her students add antibiotics to stop Borrelia from making new RNA. Then, at various intervals, they measure how much RNA has been broken down by the ribonucleases in host cells.

“Sometimes how tight [the proteins] bind is what matters, and other times it’s who binds first,” Schlax says. “I’m interested in switches that work by both of those mechanisms.”

The NIH grant will allow Schlax to hire a lab technician as well as fund paid summer research opportunities for as many as nine students over the life of the grant. In addition, three thesis students are currently working with Schlax on related research.

Students “will be measuring the protein levels, RNAs, they’ll be making synthetic pieces of RNA to see what the ideal piece of RNA to be cut is,” Schlax says. “They’ll be doing everything that’s in the grant. It’s truly collaborative with them.”

Schlax has taught at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ since 1998, and was promoted to full professor in August. She graduated from Clarkson University in 1989, and obtained a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1994.

In faculty promotions recently announced at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College, four professors have earned tenure and three others have been named full professor.

These professional milestones recognize the significant contributions each professor has made to their field of study and to the growth and education of their students, said Matthew Auer, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

“All seven faculty members are outstanding teachers and scholars,� Auer said. “They exemplify what it means to be fully invested members of our liberal arts community and leaders in the academy.�

The promotions, awarded to professors in the fields of philosophy, politics, mathematics, physics, dance, biology, and chemistry, were recommended by the faculty Committee on Personnel and approved by the college’s Board of Trustees during the 2014-15 academic year. They took effect Aug. 1.

Promotions to associate professor with tenure

Lauren Ashwell

Lauren Ashwell

Department: Philosophy

Field of study: Metaphysics, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and feminist philosophy

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2009

Why I teach: “Philosophy classes help develop the skills of thinking carefully, considering opposing views charitably, and giving arguments supported by good reasons rather than mere opinions.

“Not only are these incredibly useful general skills, it’s also super fun to engage in these mental calisthenics together in discussion. I love it when I can help students think about a question in a new way, and also when they can do the same for me!â€�

Stephen Engel

Stephen Engel

Department: Politics

Field of study: American political development, constitutional law, and social movements, particularly LGBTQ sociopolitical and legal mobilization

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2011

Why I teach: “One of the reasons I enjoy teaching at a liberal arts college, and at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in particular, is the substantial openness here to challenging and breaking through disciplinary boundaries. When designing my classes in constitutional law and LGBTQ+ politics, I have been able to reach beyond traditional political science and law to incorporate history, sociology, music, film, television, and advertising.

“Doing so not only is an exciting creative challenge and keeps things interesting for me, but I hope it provides access points for students who might not initially be drawn to the study of U.S. politics, who may not be politics majors. Because, in the end, I teach to inspire a student not to be a political scientist or a lawyer per se, but instead to think a bit more critically about power, identity, and participation, and to take responsibility and accountability for our collective role in shaping the world as it is and as we hope it can be.â€�

Nathan Lundblad

Nathan Lundblad

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Field of study: Ultralow-temperature physics, Bose-Einstein condensation, and atomic physics in microgravity

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2009

Why I teach: “Physics is the study of how our universe operates at a fundamental level. To see students work with this material, and grow and change over their four years at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, is an immense privilege and pleasure. Seeing where they go after ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is a great pleasure as well; it’s a strong motivation for me every day to know that the interactions I have with students have the potential to affect their lives years down the line

“On top of that, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ makes it possible for me to be an active scholar in my field, which gives students a unique opportunity to be a part of cutting-edge physics research while getting all the advantages of the small-college experience.â€�

Adriana Salerno

Adriana Salerno

Department: Mathematics

Field of study: Number theory and arithmetic geometry, with an interest in communicating mathematics to the general public

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2009

Why I teach: “I believe quantitative literacy, just like verbal literacy, is fundamental to ensuring that our students go on to be successful and involved citizens when they graduate.

“I love helping students navigate math problems at all levels, from the intro courses to the upper-level math major courses and capstones, particularly if I can help them see more of the power and beauty in mathematical thinking. It is a great joy to see my students grow as people and as learners. I like to think of my classes as a community of equals, and I love how much I also learn from my students.â€�

Promotions to full professor

Ryan Bavis

Ryan Bavis

Department: Biology

Field of study: Animal physiology, particularly respiratory physiology

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2003

Why I teach: “As a product of a small liberal arts college myself, I know how rewarding it is for undergraduates to get into the lab and actually do science. I am so fortunate to be able to offer these opportunities to the students here at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ through inquiry-based labs, summer research fellowships, and senior capstone experiences.â€�

Carol Dilley

Carol Dilley

Department: Theater and Dance

Field of study: Dance

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 2003

Why I teach: “As an artist whose dance practice informs my experience of the world, I like to think I make a difference through my work. As an artist who teaches, I influence the next generation to consider the world with the sensibilities of an artist as well.

“Teaching in the arts is my most effective means to generate positive momentum towards growth in the immediacy of the dance studio and in the world beyond.â€�

Paula Schlax

Paula Schlax

Department: Chemistry

Field of study: The role of RNA structure in controlling gene expression in diverse prokaryotes

Came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in: 1998

Why I teach: “I love to help students learn how to develop a research question, design and execute experiments to answer their question, analyze and interpret their own experimental data, and, perhaps most importantly, recognize that these are useful skills for lifelong learning in most disciplines.�

A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College junior from Maine and a senior from New York state presented biochemistry research to a U.S. representative from Maine this month as part of “Posters on the Hill,” an annual event designed to remind Congress of the importance of undergraduate research.

Both majoring in biological chemistry, Joshua Linscott of Portland and Nicholas Swerdlow of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., were among 78 undergraduates from across the nation to take part in the May 4-5 event sponsored by the , a national organization that supports student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ pair presented genetic research involving the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. Working with Paula Schlax, associate professor of chemistry at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, they studied messenger RNA that regulates the expression of a protein connected with the microbe’s transmission from ticks to mammals.

“The genome of this bacteria is quite unusual,” says Schlax, “and understanding basic principles of protein synthesis will be essential in understanding its life cycle and its ability to be an effective pathogen.”

The gatherings give undergraduate students and their professors a forum to explain their research to members of Congress and their staffs, and to discuss the importance of such research and federal financial support for it.

Linscott and Swerdlow met Maine Rep. Michael Michaud, who represents Maine’s 2nd District, which includes Lewiston. “The Congressman has an excellent relationship with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and was very receptive to our visit,” Swerdlow says. “He asked about our research and looked at our poster, but the meeting was focused on undergraduate research in general.

The pair emphasized that grants from the Maine IDeA [sic] Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, funded by the National Institutes of Health, have supported their research at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Linscott says. “I think my voice represented the thoughts and needs of many undergrads. Undergraduate research is hugely important in preparing students to enter grad school or the job market.”

Described by Schlax as a hard-working, fastidious student, Swerdlow wants to pursue a career combining research and medical practice. He has spent the last two summers performing clinical research on obesity.

Linscott has worked at IDEXX, the Westbrook-based veterinary diagnostics manufacturer, and hopes to do pharmaceuticals research after ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Schlax described him as “organized, careful and motivated.”

For all of the students, Posters on the Hill included opportunities to network, see some sights in the nation’s capital and share their research.

“It was amazing to be surrounded by reminders of the history of our country,” Linscott says. “For all of us, I think, it was very freeing to be able to explain our research in depth to other students who could really understand what we were doing.”

Paula Schlax, an assistant professor of chemistry at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College, has received a National Science Foundation grant for nearly $272,000 to support her research into bacterial responses to environmental stress.

This research, in which Schlax closely involves her students, promises to increase understanding of fundamental principles that govern whether or not genes express biologically active proteins.

Schlax, of Lewiston, will receive $271,840 from the NSF over three years. A member of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ faculty since 1998, she is investigating mechanisms through which bacteria respond to changes in their immediate environment.

Specifically, Schlax studies a molecule called RpoS that is common to many bacteria and regulates their stress response. Environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures, acidity or salinity trip a “genetic switch” that results in high RpoS levels. This stimulates the creation of “protector molecules” that toughen the organism against many types of stresses.

Understanding the stress response helps explain how bacteria survive drastic changes in their natural environment and how environmental stresses influence the composition of bacterial species in a natural ecosystem.

Additionally, many disease-causing bacteria undergo this stress response, says Schlax, and that response can influence organisms’ ability to harm human hosts. Understanding this process may provide insight into the mechanisms by which these organisms cause disease.

The NSF award is especially gratifying, Schlax says, because it “recognizes that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ undergraduate students will participate in increasing fundamental scientific knowledge. It’s a great compliment to our students.”

She says, “Students will participate in all aspects of this research, from designing and carrying out experiments to interpreting data and presenting it to the greater scientific community.”

This work crosses the traditional boundaries of chemistry and molecular biology by investigating the relationship between the structure of RNA molecules and their function in gene expression, Schlax says. A goal is to “map” gene expression networks, which is a small part of the cutting-edge discipline of functional genomics.