As part of a three-year, $1.03 million, collaborative research grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Biology Prof. Ryan Kerney will investigate the infection of salamander embryos by algae. Using new tools in chemistry and microscopy, the project will investigate how this infection occurs and “whether the algae transfers certain chemicals to their hosts.”
Watch the video to learn more about his research:
Kerney will be working with collaborators from Stony Brook University and Columbia University as well as Gettysburg students, providing them with the opportunity to “work with world-class scientists from a variety of different perspectives,” he said.
Prior to receiving this grant, Kerney was working in Sri Lanka with the support of a Fulbright award, studying tropical frog embryos. In 2016, Kerney’s work made international news when he discovered the first tadpole belonging to The Indian Dancing frog (Micrixalus herrei). More recently, he published a critical review with Biology Prof. Zakiya Whatley describing symbiotically modified organisms and discussing their practical applications and ethical considerations.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation fosters path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area.
