Biology Highlights 2020
Desko M, Schiebel C, Silverman S, Bickel J, Felton K, and Chandler JL. (2020) The Probability of spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), escape differs among life stages and between two trapping techniques commonly used by landowners, sticky bands and duct tape. The Great Lakes Entomologist 53(2): 10.
West Chester University College of the Sciences and Mathematics Research Alternate Work Assignment Award. Title: Efficacy of sticky bands and sticky band alternatives in the control of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) populations (Spring 2020 - 3 teaching release credit hours)
Dr. Jessica Sowa gave a presentation: “Nematode hunters: a socially distant citizen-science approach to finding novel natural intracellular nematode pathogens” at the Worm/Virus Virtual Meeting, November 20th, 2020
Dr. Jessica Sowa, along with undergraduates Katie Byrnes, Barbara Chen, and Emily Cooper, and graduate student Nicolas Martinez co-authored the poster: “Nematode hunters: a citizen science approach to identifying new systems for the study of host-virus interactions” which was presented at ASCB Cell Bio Virtual 2020
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, had videos of his research on shrimpfish posted on Twitter by Cool Science Videos@GeoBeats, “This fish didn’t get the message” on August 11at https://twitter.com/GeoBeats/status/1293191246626856960.
Former biology undergraduate Enrique Mentado-Sosa, Dr John Pisciotta and Dr One Pagan co-authored a presentation "Influence of Microbiome Manipulation on Withdrawal-Like Behavior in Planaria" at the 3rd International Conference on Microbiome Engineering (December 8, 2020).
Former biology undergraduate Chase Weikel and Dr. John Pisciotta co-authored a presentation "Recreational Facilities as Reservoirs for Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus" at the American Society for Microbiology’s National Microbe Research Conference. (June 18th 2020).
Dr. John Pisciotta and Chemistry department Co-PI Dr. Kurt Kolasinski received a Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity Grant for $2,000.00 titled "Exploring the anti-microbial properties of copper nanoparticles" (2020).
Dr. One Pagan published the following manuscript: Pagán, O. R., Baker, D. L., Deats, S., O'Brien, M., Dymond, R., & DeMichele, G. (2020). Measuring functional brain recovery in regenerating planarians by assessing the behavioral response to the cholinergic compound cytisine. International Journal of Developmental Biology, 64, 445.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published a book chapter "Aquatic animals operating at high Reynolds numbers: Biomimetic opportunities for AUV application” in the book Bioinspired Structures and Design (W. Soboyejo and L. Daniel, ed.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2020).
Dr. Jessica Schedlbauer and Biology M.S. student Sarah Polohovich published a paper about research conducted in WCU’s Gordon Natural Area, Schedlbauer, J.L, and S. Polohovich. 2020. Current and future carbon storage capacity in a southeastern Pennsylvania forest. Natural Areas Journal 40:300-308.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published the article “Bio-inspired aquatic drones: overview” in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 15 (2020): 060401. The article was the lead article for a special issue of Bioinspiration & Biomimetics on Aquatic Drones for which Dr. Fish was the Guest Editor.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, was awarded a grant for $300,000 from the Office of Naval Research for the project “Locomotor transitions of an amphibious system: Biological to robotic”. The grant is in collaboration with researchers from George Washington University and Drexel University.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published the research article “A 60:40 split: Differential mass support in dogs” in the Anatomical Record, 10.1002/ar.24407. The article was co-authored with Dr. Maura Sheehan, health emerita, and biology graduate students Danielle Adams, Kelsey Tennett, and William Gough.
Dr. Sean Buskirk presented a poster entitled "Adaptive evolution of nontransitive fitness in yeast" at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory Conference (September 2020).
Dr. Sean Buskirk published the following research article "Turner CB, Buskirk SW, Harris KB, Cooper VS. 2019. Negative frequency-dependent selection maintains coexisting genotypes during fluctuating selection. Molecular Ecology."
Dr. Sean Buskirk published the following research article "Mhatre E, Snyder D, Sileo E, Turner CB, Buskirk SW, Fernandez NL, Neiditch MB, Waters CM, Cooper VS. 2019. One gene, multiple ecological strategies: a biofilm regulator is a capacitor for sustainable diversity. PNAS. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2008540117"
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, was a co-author on “Investigating sea lion locomotion as the basis for shape changing UUVs” at the ONR Bio-Inspired Autonomous Systems Review, Arlington, VA, June 2-4, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, co-authored a paper, “ Kinematics and hydrodynamics of a dolphin in forward swimming” in AIAA Aviation Forum, 10.2514/6.2020.3015 (2020).
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published the research article “A 60:40 split: Differential mass support in dogs” in the Anatomical Record, 10.1002/ar.24407. The article was co-authored with Dr. Maura Sheehan, health emerita, and biology graduate students Danielle Adams, Kelsey Tennett, and William Gough.
Dr. Micheal Rosario published the following research article "Rosario, Michael V., and Thomas J. Roberts. "Loading rate has little influence on tendon fascicle mechanics." Frontiers in physiology 11 (2020): 255."
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, co-authored an article “Energetic and physical limitations on the breaching performance of large whales” in eLife, volume 9:e51760 (2020).
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, co-authored an article “Three-dimensional scaling laws of cetacean propulsion characterize the hydrodynamic interplay of flukes’ shape and gait“ in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, volume 17:20190655 (2020).
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, co-authored an article "Variable stiffness morphing limb for amphibious legged robots inspired by chelonian environmental adaptations" that was published in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics volume 15(2), 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published a research paper, “Comparative histological examination of the integument of odontocete flukes,” in Aquatic Mammals, volume 46(4): 367-381 (2020). The article was co-authored with biology graduate student Jennifer Garten.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published the article "Advantages of aquatic animals as models for bio-inspired drones over present AUV technology” in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, volume 15, number 2, 025001 (2020).
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, published a book chapter “Biomimetics and the application of the leading-edge tubercles of the humpback whale flipper” in Flow Control Through Bio-inspired Leading Edge Tubercles (D. T. H. New and B. F. Ng, eds.), pp. 1-39. Springer (2020).
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, and Ariel Leahy, biology graduate student, presented a paper “Hydrodynamics of a crenelated delta wing design of the hindflippers of the California sea lion” at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, Abigail Downs, biology graduate student (presenter), and Allison Kolpas, mathematics, coauthored a presentation “Turning performance by bluefin tuna: Novel mechanism for rapid maneuvers with a rigid body” at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, coauthored a presentation “The upper jaw of rorquals can act as a delta wing for stability during lunge feeding” at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, Ariel Leahy, biology graduate student (presenter), and Sarah Kerr, biology graduate student coauthored a presentation “Value of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) hindflippers during porpoising and turning maneuvers” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, William Gough, former biology graduate student, and Danielle Adams, former biology graduate student, coauthored a presentation “Inverse dynamics analysis of dolphin swimming” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.
Dr. Frank Fish, biology, and William Gough, former biology graduate student, coauthored a presentation “The physics of whale movement: Drag and thrust production to measure whale propulsive efficiency” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, January 3-7, 2020.