The Thompson Lab of Mammalogy is seeking the help of 2 undergraduate researchers to assist with a collaborative project with the University of Michigan Medical School. The project is examining secular changes in bone strength that have been observed in humans. It is thought that these changes may result in part from exposure to environmental chemicals. To understand the observations seen in human bone, wild mouse populations will be sampled to determine whether similar patterns exist in nature. To do such, morphological analyses will be conducted on historical collections of deer mice (Peromyscus sp.) found in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) to assess bone strength of populations before known use of environmental chemicals. In addition, a recent sample of deer mice will be collected locally to assess bone strength in populations after known exposure to environmental chemicals.
The student researchers will participate in the fieldwork required for sampling deer mice populations locally. The students also will be involved with the preparation of museum specimens for nano-CT scanning. In addition, they will assist with processing deer mice collected for this project. All mice collected for this project will be cataloged and deposited in the UMMZ. Depending on the availability of research funds, the students also will help genotype mice for potential population genetic work. Additional training in a laboratory mouse lab may be possible. These positions are available as EEB 300 or 400 level courses.
If interested, please contact Cody Thompson (cwthomp@umich.edu).
