The Science Foundation
To catalyze discoveries in the mathematical, physical, and biological sciences through a transparent and responsive funding process grounded in public engagement.
Projects
11
What drives soil methane munchers?
In a laboratory soil incubation, I will combine stable isotope tracing, methane (CH4) production and consumption...
What if we are missing early animal fossils?
I am investigating whether our current method of extracting early animal fossils from the rock using acid...
How does a desert shrub start a seed?
How does a seed begin? In Ephedra, a desert shrub from an ancient, unusual lineage of seed plants, the first...
The Secret Lives of Burrowing Owls
Building on ongoing Burrowing Owl habitat enhancement and monitoring efforts in the Kern River Valley, we...
Peak Confusion: Why Won't This Mountain Erode?
The Pinaleño Mountains in Arizona have an unusually flat summit. Why haven't streams carved it into rugged...
Why and how did caecilians evolve bright colors?
I am studying caecilians from São Tomé because I want to understand why and how they have evolved bright...
What if a threatened bat follows cactus blooms?
We will test whether the Peruvian long-tongued bat (Platalina genovensium) migrates between coastal lomas...
Collagen Disorganization in Fishy Fibrosis
I hope to study how a crucial protein found across the animal kingdom is molecularly organized during a...
Where Does the Glow Go? Tracking Symbionts Between Hosts
Many animals find their symbionts in the environment, but where do those bacteria come from? I will test...
Can environmental stress reshape the genomes of marine bacteria?
Urban development is changing coastal waterways, altering salinity and pollution in ways that affect marine...
How do Leaf Microbiomes Shift across Seasons?
This project aims to elucidate how environmental conditions influence leaf microbiome assemblages by analyzing...
