Student and Professor Present Research at "Experimental Biology" Meeting

Dr. John Robertson, assistant p;orfessor of biology at Westminster College, recently gave two presentations at the Federated Society of Experimental Biology meeting held in San Francisco.

"The poster, "Investigating Permeability Using Fish Gills," represents work designed to adapt and apply a research technique for use in an undergrad course laboratory setting," Robertson said.  "This poster was presented in the Teaching, Learning, and Testing in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences session."

"The poster, "Effects of Amphotericin B on Gill Water Pereability," was part of the Osmotic and Ionic Regulation poster session," said Robertson.  "This describes some original work done here at Westminster that involves investigating cell and tissue permeability - a fundamentally important physiological parameter.

"This second poster was co-authored by a Westminster undergraduate, Nanette Tomicek, who was able to attend the meeting and presented the poster in two venues (the poster session listed above as well as a special undergraduate research session sponsored by the American Physiological Society). The experience was valuable for Nanette, who was able to gain insight into the 'culture' of academic research science.  She is planning on attending grad school in physiology, and this experience should prove to have very practical benefits in her continuing education."

"My attendance and presentations at the meeting were supported by the Westminster Faculty Development Conference Fund, and Nanette was supported by the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Westminster College Student Government Association," Robertson added.

"The research grants for projects and creative activities must be conducted under the mentorship of Westminster College faculty," said Dr. Virginia Tomlinson, director of the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Westminster College.  "Funding may include supplies, equipment, travel to libraries and data sources, and travel to make presentations.  In order to apply for research support, the student must have a research proposal completed as a degree-seeking student at Westminster College, and be in good academic standing."

North Apollo, PA
 Nanette Tomicek is a daughter of Donald and Stephanie Tomicek.  Tomicek, a senior biology major, is a graduate of Apollo-Ridge High School.  The title of her research is "Effects of Amphotericin B on Gill Water Permeability," and she was advised by Dr. John Robertson, assistant professor of biology.
"Fish gills are an intriguing system in which to examine barrier epithelial function and physiological exchange; regulation of the movement of water, ions, and other substances are primary gill functions. Freshwater fish face large inwardly-directed osmotic gradients across interfacial exchange surfaces. Fish have been found to have high gill plasma membrane cholesterol content, suggesting barrier membrane composition may act in restricting gill water permeation. Amphotericin B is a polyene macrolide antibiotic that acts by binding to membrane sterols, forming pore complexes which compromise membrane integrity. We hypothesized that a mphotericin B would form pore complexes with cholesterol in gill barrier membranes, disrupting membrane function and enhancing water influx. The concentration-dependent effects of amphotericin B on osmotic water uptake were examined for two species of freshwater fish. Excised gill arches were incubated in either control or amphotericin B-containing solutions and water permeability was quantified as gill arch weight gain over time," writes Tomicek.
 
Contact Robertson at (724) 946-7044 or e-mail robertjc@westminster.edu; or e-mail Tomicek at tomicenj@westminster.edu for more information.

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