REU Biology Program
Biology Research Experience for Undergraduates
The Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Systematics and Evolutionary Biology is funded by the National Science Foundation and has been in place for 30 years. Our program brings approximately ten students to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City each summer for a ten-week experience working with our curators, faculty, and post-doctoral fellows.
Research projects span diverse fields of comparative biology including paleontology, genomics, population biology, conservation biology, and phylogenetics and taxonomy. Students have access to the Museum's immense natural history collections as well as state-of-the-art equipment for advanced imaging (CT scanner, SEM, TEM) and genomics (Sanger and pyrosequencing platforms).
Students receive a $6,000 traineeship stipend, as well as per diem costs for housing and meals, relocation expenses, and transportation subsidies. The program is held onsite at AMNH, housing at nearby International House is made available. In addition to conducting original research projects throughout the summer, students also participate in formal instruction in systematics and evolution, and receive training in ethics, networking, communication, and other career-building skills.
Who Should Apply
All students in the program must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or permanent residents of the United States. Students must be entering or continuing in an Associates or Baccalaureate degree program following their summer internship. As part of the National Science Foundation's commitment to broadening participation in STEM fields, we especially encourage students who come from community colleges, undergraduate-only institutions, and minority-serving institutions to apply. For assistance with application process, contact [email protected].
Summer 2025 Biology Project Titles
Dragonfly Systematics
Mentors: Ellie Gamett, Violet Onsongo and Jessica Ware
The genus Progomphus Selys, 1854, represents the most speciose lineage within Gomphidae, the second most diverse family of Anisoptera dragonflies worldwide. Despite its robust morphological characterization and the recent description of new species, comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analyses of Progomphus are lacking. This research aims to fill this critical gap by exploring museum specimens to generate Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) data-which we are ongoing generating and combining these molecular insights with morphological and ecological data to address fundamental biological questions.
Specifically, we aim to:
- Elucidate evolutionary relationships within the genus Progomphus
- Investigate the biogeographic history of the group, including its diversification across Neotropical aquatic habitats
- Identify ecological and evolutionary drivers of diversification in this lineage.
This project also integrates undergraduate training, providing students with hands-on experience in museum specimen handling, DNA extraction protocols for archival material, AHE bioinformatics workflows, phylogenetic tree reconstruction, and the interpretation of evolutionary patterns. By linking molecular data with ecological and morphological observations, our work will enhance our understanding of the evolutionary history of Progomphus and contribute to broader efforts in odonate systematics and conservation.
Drivers of Mammal Diversity
Mentors: Justin Bernstein and Angelo Soto-Centeno
The top threats to mammal diversity all relate to human mediated factors. Habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, and or introduction of invasive species, for example, may amplify threats to mammals across terrestrial ecoregions. Studies have shown that environmental, geographic, and spatial factors are important to understand mammal diversity regionally and globally. This study aims to understand the factors that drive mammal species richness and phylogenetic diversity in the northeastern United States.
We will use phylogenetic methods to assess relationships of specific mammal clades (e.g. bats, carnivores, etc.) regionally. The relative importance of climate, habitat heterogeneity, terrestrial ecoregion, elevational gradients, and urbanization will be examined as proxies to explain mammal species richness and phylogenetic diversity. You will work closely with a diverse team of mammalogists to identify and target a specific mammal clade and mine data to reconstruct a phylogeny. You will also mine species geographic data and compile a database of environmental factors to produce regional species richness maps using predictive modeling techniques. You will be trained in several bioinformatic tools including statistical analyses and data visualization in R and GIS. Overall, this study will help us assess the potential drivers of mammal species richness and phylogenetic diversity across the northeastern United States and identify the factors that are relevant to assess potential conservation issues.
Morphological Phylogeny of the Bioluminescent Tubeshoulders
Mentors: Emily Carr and John Sparks
Platytroctidae, commonly known as tubeshoulders, is a family of globally distributed deep-sea fishes that exhibit bioluminescence. All members of this group possess a sac-like shoulder organ capable of emitting bioluminescent fluid, likely a predator avoidance strategy, as well as numerous other light-emitting structures. However, our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Platytroctidae remains extremely limited.
In this project, students will:
- Conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of platytroctid species via clearing and staining, radiographs, and CT/MRI scans
- Create a morphological character matrix
- Infer a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny for Platytroctidae.
This project will provide the basis for future phylogenetic work focusing on this poorly studied bioluminescent deep-sea family.
Phylogenetic Graph Optimization and Viral Evolution
Mentor: Ward Wheeler
The project will center on determining the conditions under which phylogenetic networks can be identified in pathogenic viruses. In essence, when do viral (e.g. Influenza, SARS-Cov-2) lineages exchange genetic information and how can we detect this. The project will involve computational analysis of simulated and real viral data.
Reconstructing Changes in Biomass of Bivalves Using Historic Collections and CT Scanning
Mentors: Yael Afriat and Jessica Goodheart
Bivalve aquaculture is a crucial source of nutrition and livelihoods globally, producing millions of tonnes of biomass annually. As a nutrient-rich, low-emission alternative to terrestrial meats, bivalves are promoted by organizations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a sustainable "blue food" solution for enhancing food security. However, the industry's rapid growth raises ecological concerns, highlighting the need to balance sustainability and food production.
This project applies a Conservation Paleobiology approach, utilizing natural history collections as historical archives to establish baselines for changes in bivalve biomass over time. By analyzing photographs and CT scans of bivalves from the Mollusca Collection at AMNH, we aim to estimate soft tissue biomass from shell volume from recent history to compare with modern estimates. Sampling specimens from various localities and time periods will allow us to reconstruct spatiotemporal trends in the biomass of wild and economic bivalves over the past century, providing insights for conservation efforts. The REU student will gain hands-on experience with specimen imaging, CT scanning, 3D modeling, and geometric morphometrics methods to estimate bivalve shell volumes and model soft tissue biomass.