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A large stuffed bear’s head decorates the temporary office space of the Biology Department’s three newest Assistant Professors. As these new faculty members are awaiting the finalization of their respective lab spaces, they have enjoyed getting to know each other over coffee chats.  

Vermont sunflower patches remind Dr. Lauterbur of their time at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she searched for goldfinch nests in the flowers. By painting female goldfinch beaks shades of orange with nail polish, Dr. Lauterbur and their advisor found that male goldfinches allocate more resources into wooing females with bright beaks. While serene sunflower patches were pretty cool, after college, Dr. Lauterbur shifted gears for her PhD at Stony Brook University, where she used bamboo lemur pee to understand the biological processes that allow for cyanide tolerance. Next, Dr. Lauterbur studied bats during their post-doc at the University of Arizona. They are continuing that work here at ����̽̽, using the bat genome as a scorecard of how infectious diseases have impacted the success of invaders in a new habitat.  

Pathogens play a huge role in whether a species can make it in an environment. When species leave their native habitat, they can also leave behind their diseases and predators, because they are able to live in an environment that their enemies cannot. The invasive species can also introduce pathogens to their new home, which harms the native species. The invasive species can also be afflicted by native pathogens, making the invasion less successful. Pathogens alter the genome, leaving a trail for Dr. Lauterbur to follow. 

Dr. Lauterbur also enjoys hiking with her partner and spending time with their dog. In their words, “He is a mutt, we got him in Arizona, and we call him a goblin-eared Sonoran hot dog”. Dr. Lauterbur also has three cats and a snake. They enjoy reading fantasy and science fiction and are currently finishing up “Seven Blades in Black” by Sam Sykes.  

While Dr. Lauterbur is studying bats in the sky, Dr. Tang is focusing the microscope on the learning and memory of tiny worms. Ever since earning his undergraduate degree at Chinese University Hong Kong in biochemistry, Dr. Tang knew that he wanted to go into academia. He decided neuroscience was his calling during an internship at Ohio State University. Then, at the University of Bristol in England, for his PhD, he did exactly that, studying the neuroscience of rats.  

Rats turned out to be a difficult model species for his research, as rat neuronal cultures need to grow for two weeks before they are ready for use. During this waiting period the cells are at risk of dying or contamination. And even when the neurons survive the two weeks, in vitro research doesn't tell the whole story of these complex interconnections.  

This is what led him to C. elegans, a worm often found in soil or research labs, feeding on decaying matter. It is perfect for his work because it is literally transparent. That means that, by highlighting specific neurons with green fluorescent proteins, Dr. Tang can see neurons in action. Dr. Tang’s research looks at how neuron connections change when C. elegans undergoes Pavlovian conditioning. As he says, “The devil’s in the detail, so I really want to go delve into the detail.” 

These neural pathways are so fundamental to life that how a worm learns what salt concentration has the yummiest food may be the same mechanism for how humans decide their favorite foods–which hits close to home, since outside of his research lab, Dr. Tang is an avid baker.

While Dr. Tang and Dr. Lauterbur just arrived at ����̽̽, Dr. Nunez has been on campus for over a year now. One of the most exciting things he has been up to is receiving substantial grant funding for his research on invasive fruit flies.  

Spotted Wing Drosophila used to be contained in Southeast Asia, but in recent years these fruit flies have taken over the world. Farmers are in an eternal struggle with pests. Spotted Wing Drosophila lay their eggs on crops such as blueberries and grapes, threatening organic farming. In collaboration with faculty at Northeastern University, the University of Kentucky, and the ����̽̽ Institute of Agroecology, Dr. Nunez is investigating how these fruit flies have become so successful.  

Evolution is often thought of as a process that takes thousands of years, which it is. But if that were the whole story, how can a species fundamentally confined to a region be seen all over the world in a matter of years? In rapidly fluctuating environments, there are species that are keeping up with the fast-paced nature of climate change, which wouldn’t be possible with a thousand-year time lag. Dr. Nunez’s work uses the lens of rapid evolution to build a comprehensive understanding of this ongoing pest problem. 

Outside of his work, he has been gardening and doing house repairs. Dr. Nunez mentions, “I also like video games. You know, I am an older millennial after all.” 

Beyond their research, the three new Assistant Professors wear many hats as faculty advisors and course instructors. It is exciting to watch their research, grants, and ideas unfold and come to life.