The 2017 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers (SRE) is now accepting applications. Projects include modeling bird mating patterns, seasonality in multi-host systems, La Crosse encephalitis spread, immune system response in host-virus conflict, and a project to develop computer games for teaching biology. Dates are June 5-July 28. Undergraduates receive free university apartment-style housing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, a stipend, and support for travel. Application deadline: February 15. Full details at http://www.nimbios.org/sre/
"This program has given me great experience doing research in my field and has taught me a lot of new skills that I will use for the rest of my life. I have also met a lot of amazing people and made some great friends here as well." -- Morganne Igoe, 2016 Participant
Featured Science Sociality & Sustainability
Learning between human social groups may be key to sustaining the environment, according to a new study that uses mathematical modeling to understand what factors most influence societies to conserve natural resources. Researchers developed a model to simulate how societies with different social structures and institutions manage their resources. In the model, true to form, societies that over-exploited their environment went extinct, and societies survived when individuals cooperated by limiting their personal consumption.
NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellow Nourridine Siewe is developing mathematical models of visceral leishmaniasis and malaria co-infection to improve the diagnosis and treatment process. In his work on malaria, he and his co-authors found building hosts' habitats within specific ranges from the vector breeding sites reduced spread of the disease. In this Q&A, Siewe shares the best advice he received and how he learned the value of patience. Originally from Babouantou, Cameroon, Siewe earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Howard University.
Bode M, Sanchirico JN, Armsworth PR. Returns from matching management resolution to ecological variation in a coral reef fishery. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 283(1826). doi:10.1098/rspb.2015.2828
Parobek CM et al. SKELESIM: An extensible, general framework for population genetic simulation in R. Molecular Ecology Resources.doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12607
Pietraszewski D. How the mind sees coalitional and group conflict: The evolutionary invariances of n-person conflict dynamics. Evolution and Human Behavior. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.04.006
Waring TM, Goff SH, Smaldino PE. The coevolution of economic institutions and sustainable consumption via cultural group selection. Ecological Economics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.09.022
Zefferman MR. Mothers teach daughters because daughters teach granddaughters: Evolution of sex-biased transmission. Behavioral Ecology. doi:10.1093/beheco/arw022
Results produced from NIMBioS research activities are important in measuring our success.
NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation through NSF Award #DBI-1300426, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
