UROP Student Presents Research in Thailand

Glasscock will attend the Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Senior and double major (chemistry and biochemistry/molecular biology) student Julie Glasscock has been interested in biochemistry since her sophomore General Biology class with Professor Anna Rachinsky. This fascination has taken Glasscock into three laboratory projects, through two Undergraduate Research projects, and now all the way to Thailand.

Presenting at conferences is not new to Glasscock. She attended the 18th National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Indianapolis, in April 2004 where she gave an oral presentation entitled “Immunocytochemical localization of an allatropin in selected developmental stages of Heliothis virsescens and Apis mellifera.” She also prepared a manuscript under the same title, which was published in the Conference Proceedings. The paper was based on two years of laboratory research under the guidance of Assistant Biology Professor Rachinsky. Together, Rachinsky and Glasscock will attend the Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand this spring. At this conference, Glasscock will once again present her research on neuroendocrine regulation of insect development.

The research centers on the biosynthesis regulation by brain peptides during the lifecycle of honeybees or moths. Found deep in the central nervous system, the signals in the neuroendocrine system control reproduction and development. The research is important because if scientists can isolate the moment, location and manner of these signals for growth, they may eventually be able to counteract infestations of harmful insects.

The UROP student projects that Glasscock worked on were, "Study on Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis Regulation in 2003 and "Stimulation of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in insects: structure-function relationship of allatoactive peptides," in 2004.

Glasscock is looking forward to exploring Thailand, "We'll get to ride elephants up into the mountains outside of Chiang Mai and after the conference we're stopping to sightsee in Bangkok," she said. "I've heard the temples in Bangkok are amazing."

While she excels in her research, she also enjoys activities outside the lab. She fits snowboarding at Spirit Mountain into her schedule at least once every other week during the winter, and appreciates nature and camping in the summer months. Thanks to the Chemistry Department, the Biology Department, the College of Science and Engineering, and the Office of the Chancellor, all her transportation and expenses for the trip are covered. Glasscock, a current Raymond W. Darland All-American Scholar, is now applying to graduate school where she plans to study medical biology.

Posted Dec 2, 2004