Scripps College

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND INSTITUTIONAL PORTION

PROVIDING SUPPORT TO STUDENTS AND THE COLLEGE FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO DISRUPTIONS TO THEIR EDUCATION DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK.

RUI: ROLE OF THE HAPLOIDIZER GENE IN GENOME ELIMINATION BY A SELFISH B CHROMOSOME

HIGH-THROUGHPUT CHARACTERIZATION AND ENGINEERING OF BRIGHTER LUCIFERASES

THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES 2016 CONSORTIAL PROPOSAL TO REDUCE SEXUAL ASSAULT DOMESTIC/DATING VIOLENCE AND STALKING ON SEVEN CAMPUSES

CAREER: EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS DRIVE BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENT -INDIVIDUALS ARE SHAPED BY THE EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT OCCUR EARLY IN LIFE. ALTHOUGH THESE SOCIAL EFFECTS ARE WELL KNOWN TO OCCUR, SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE COMPLEX, AND STRIKINGLY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT WHICH SPECIFIC ATTRIBUTES OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY CAUSE CHANGES IN BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR. THIS PROJECT FILLS A GAP IN KNOWLEDGE THAT EXISTS ACROSS SPECIES BY IDENTIFYING THE CAUSAL ELEMENTS OF EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND UNCOVERING THE CONNECTIONS TO THE STRONG, LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS PROJECT USES A HIGHLY SOCIAL FISH AS A MODEL SYSTEM. IT ENGINEERS AND EXAMINES A VARIETY OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN DETAIL AS YOUNG FISH DEVELOP, EXPANDING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RICHNESS OF LIVING IN GROUPS, AND IT IDENTIFIES CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE BRAIN, HORMONES, AND BEHAVIOR. GIVEN THAT SOCIAL EFFECTS ARE REMARKABLY INFLUENTIAL ACROSS ALL VERTEBRATES, INCLUDING HUMANS, THE RESULTS HAVE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR HOW SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT LIFE SHAPE INDIVIDUALS INTO WHO THEY ARE?FROM BEHAVIOR TO HEALTH. THIS PROJECT EXPANDS WHO CONTRIBUTES TO KNOWLEDGE-CREATION IN THIS FIELD THROUGH CUTTING-EDGE, INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING OF YOUNG SCIENTISTS, FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO POSTBACCALAUREATE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES. BRINGING THIS RESEARCH INTO THE CLASSROOM PROMOTES SCIENTIFIC LITERACY AMONG SCIENCE MAJORS AND NON-SCIENCE MAJORS, AND INCREASED ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BEHAVIOR, HORMONES, AND THE BRAIN CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED, HEALTHY, AND ENGAGED AMERICAN PUBLIC. EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE POWERFUL INITIATORS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY, AND THE RESULTING CHANGES ARE OFTEN LONG-LASTING, OR EVEN PERMANENT, AND CAN FACILITATE LOCALLY ADAPTED PHENOTYPES. BECAUSE JUVENILES OFTEN SPEND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THEIR TIME INTERACTING WITH AND OBSERVING OTHERS, SOCIAL STIMULI ARE AMONG THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT. THE QUANTITY, QUALITY, AND DIVERSITY OF INTERACTIONS AND SOCIAL SENSORY CUES PERCEIVED ACCRUE OVER DEVELOPMENT TO FORM SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNCOVER THE BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS?THE CAUSAL ATTRIBUTES OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE?THAT SHAPE BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPE VIA PERSISTENT CHANGES IN UNDERLYING NEURAL AND NEUROENDOCRINE MECHANISMS. THIS PROJECT USES THE HIGHLY SOCIAL AND DEVELOPMENTALLY PLASTIC AFRICAN CICHLID FISH, BURTON?S MOUTHBROODER (ASTATOTILAPIA BURTONI), TO TEST HOW INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN EARLY-LIFE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE SHAPES BEHAVIORAL PHENOTYPE VIA PLASTICITY IN NEUROENDOCRINE STRESS AXIS AND ARGININE VASOPRESSIN SIGNALING. USING AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH, THIS RESEARCH REVEALS 1) THE COMPLEXITY OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING AS A RESULT OF DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH MORE NOVEL SOCIAL PARTNERS IN EARLY LIFE; 2) THE DEVELOPMENT OF VASOPRESSIN NEURONAL POPULATIONS AND GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR (CO)EXPRESSION; AND 3) THE BEHAVIORAL, ENDOCRINE, AND NEUROTRANSCRIPTOMIC RESPONSES TO AN ACUTE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE ACROSS MEMBERS OF A SOCIAL GROUP. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE BEHAVIORAL SYSTEMS CLUSTER AND NEURAL SYSTEMS CLUSTER IN THE DIVISION OF INTEGRATIVE AND ORGANISMAL SYSTEMS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

RUI: ANOMALOUS AND MOTOR-DRIVEN DYNAMICS IN CROWDED BIOMIMETIC NETWORKS -NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT AS YOU READ THIS SENTENCE, BILLIONS OF PIECES OF CELLULAR CARGO ARE BEING TRANSPORTED ACROSS THE CELLS IN YOUR BODY VIA MANY TIGHTLY COORDINATED PHYSICAL MECHANISMS. THE INSIDE OF OUR CELLS IS A CROWDED THREE-DIMENSIONAL MESH WHICH CAN RESTRUCTURE DYNAMICALLY AS NEEDED. PHYSICISTS' CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF SMALL (MICRON-SIZED) PARTICLES IS INSUFFICIENT TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS ACTUALLY OBSERVED WHEN CELLS ARE PLACED UNDER A MICROSCOPE. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE TOY MODELS OF CELLS ON MICROSCOPE SLIDES AND MEASURE BOTH THE TRANSPORT OF SMALL PARTICLES AS WELL AS THE MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF THE SAMPLE CORRESPONDING TO THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PHYSICAL MECHANISMS DRIVING THE TRANSPORT. IN THIS WAY, THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL EMPIRICALLY DETERMINE CRITICAL PARAMETERS NEEDED TO IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC MODELS AND THEORIES ON INTRACELLULAR TRANSPORT PROCESSES. ADDITIONALLY, TO HELP TRAIN, INSPIRE, AND DIVERSIFY THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS, EACH SUMMER THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR WILL VOLUNTEER WITH AN EXISTING PRE-COLLEGE OUTREACH PROGRAM TO PROVIDE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES TO SIX HIGH-ACHIEVING BUT UNDERPRIVILEGED TENTH-GRADERS FROM THE LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREA. THEY WILL THEN BE MENTORED BY FACULTY AND CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT SCRIPPS COLLEGE THROUGH THEIR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND BEYOND. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSPORT AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WITHIN AN ACTIVE, BIOMIMETIC MATERIAL FAR FROM EQUILIBRIUM. EUKARYOTIC CELLS RELY ON TARGETED TRANSPORT OF MOLECULES FROM < 1 NM TO AS LARGE AS > 1 ?M ACROSS TENS OF MICRONS IN A DYNAMIC, COMPLEX, AND CROWDED ENVIRONMENT TO SUSTAIN LIFE. IN PARTICULAR, MOLECULES ARE CORRALLED, MIXED, AND SEPARATED BY EMERGENT TRANSPORT MECHANISMS WHERE NON-EQUILIBRIUM DYNAMICS AND STERIC EFFECTS ARISING FROM MOLECULAR CROWDING BOTH PLAY CRUCIAL ROLES. THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL CREATE FULLY-TUNABLE CROWDED AND NON-EQUILIBRIUM BIOMIMETIC ENVIRONMENTS ON MICROSCOPE SLIDES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CHARACTERIZE THE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE TRANSPORT, NETWORK CONNECTIVITY, FORCE RESPONSE, AND VISCOELASTIC MODULI USING A CUSTOM-DEVELOPED OPTICAL TRAPPING CAPABLE LIGHTSHEET MICROSCOPE. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO COMBINE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND ACCOMPANYING THEORETICAL MODELS TO GENERATE PREDICTIONS TESTABLE IN VIVO. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

DEVELOPING IMAGING TOOLS TO IMPROVE ENDOLYSIN ACTIVITY - ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT INFECTIONS ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST CAUSES OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AROUND THE WORLD. THE EVOLUTIONARY RATE OF BACTERIA MAKES FINDING EFFECTIVE ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT INFECTIONS DIFFICULT. A PROMISING ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL ANTIBIOTICS IS ENDOLYSINS. THESE PROTEINS LYSE SPECIFIC BACTERIA WITHOUT INDUCING RESISTANCE. WHILE EFFECTIVE, THESE ENZYMES SUFFER FROM LOW STABILITY, LIMITING THEIR USE IN CLINICAL AND AGRICULTURE SETTINGS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE A LACK OF TOOLS AVAILABLE TO ASSESS THEIR ACTIVITY IN A HIGH THROUGHPUT MANNER. THUS, NEW TOOLS TO IMPROVE ENDOLYSINS ARE NEEDED. THE PROPOSED PROJECT DEVELOPS AN ENGINEERED ENDOLYSIN FOR IMPROVED ACTIVITY. THE MODEL ENDOLYSIN THAT WILL BE USED IN THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY IS CHAPK. CHAPK DEMONSTRATES HIGH LYTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPECIES BUT EXHIBITS SUBOPTIMAL ACTIVITY AT PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. IN AIM 1, A PANEL OF INTERNALLY QUENCHED SUBSTRATES WILL BE SYNTHESIZED TO ASSESS CHAPK ACTIVITY. THESE SUBSTRATES WILL BE CHARACTERIZED WITH RECOMBINANT ENZYME AND BACTERIAL LYSATE TO DEMONSTRATE ITS ABILITY TO REPORT ON HYDROLYSIS EVENTS. AIM 2 WILL ESTABLISH HOW THESE SUBSTRATES CAN BE USED TO EVOLVE CHAPK FOR IMPROVED THERMOSTABILITY. A COMPUTATION-GUIDED APPROACH WILL BE USED TO SELECT SITES TO MUTATE FOR IMPROVED THERMOSTABILITY. AFTER GENERATING THE LIBRARY, THE SYNTHETIC SUBSTRATE WILL BE USED TO SCREEN THE MUTANTS IN A HIGH-THROUGHPUT MANNER. THE TOP HITS WILL BE PURIFIED AND FURTHER CHARACTERIZED. THIS PROPOSAL WILL EXPAND THE METHODS AVAILABLE TO ASSESS ENDOLYSIN ACTIVITY AS WELL AS PROVIDE A MORE GUIDED APPROACH TO IMPROVING THESE POTENTIAL THERAPEUTICS. THE WORK PROPOSED WILL BE DRIVEN BY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS AND A POSTBACCALAUREATE STUDENT THROUGH SUMMER AND SENIOR THESIS RESEARCH PROJECTS. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL ALSO ENGAGE IN THIS WORK THROUGH A COURSE-BASED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. FUNDING FROM THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE PARTICIPATION FROM THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELDS OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL BIOLOGY. ADDITIONALLY, THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AT SCRIPPS AND PITZER COLLEGES WILL BE ENHANCED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS, FOSTERING NEW COLLABORATIONS, AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES.

RUI: IRES: CANAL, CHEMISTRY & COMMUNITY: UNDERSTANDING CHEMICAL & MICROBIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY & BIODIVERSITY -THIS PROJECT PREPARES FUTURE SCIENTISTS BY PROVIDING AN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AT A FASCINATING URBAN/RURAL WATER RESOURCE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PITZER AND SCRIPPS COLLEGES. EACH SUMMER, THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS SPEND 8-10 WEEKS STUDYING THE WATER QUALITY AND THE VARIETY OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS LIVING IN THE BANGKOK, THAILAND CANALS, WHICH ARE USED BY THE URBAN METROPOLIS FOR TRANSPORTATION, WATER RESOURCES, AND RECREATION. THE CANALS ARE CONNECTED TO THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER THAT MOVES THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE CITY TO THE GULF OF THAILAND. DUE TO THE URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL AREAS SURROUNDING THE CANALS, THE WATER CONTAINS A RANGE OF INPUTS, INCLUDING RUN-OFF FROM RAINSTORMS, AGRICULTURAL POLLUTANTS, AND INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS. RESIDENTS ALONG THE CANALS WANT TO USE THIS RESOURCE FOR DOMESTIC AND/OR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, BUT THE QUALITY OF THE WATER IS UNCLEAR, POTENTIALLY AFFECTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS ARE MENTORED BY THAI SCIENTISTS USING INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS AND URBAN PLANNING TO CONNECT THE MORE RURAL, AGRICULTURAL BANG MOD CANAL COMMUNITY TO URBAN BANGKOK. IN ADDITION, EACH SUMMER, THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS DESIGN AND ORGANIZE AN ACTIVITY-BASED WORKSHOP FOR LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE CANAL COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM LEARN ABOUT WATER QUALITY AND THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS. THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS AND THAI MENTORS MEET WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS TO EXPLAIN HOW THEIR SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS IMPACT FARMING AND DOMESTIC USE OF WATER IN THE AREA. THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FOUND IN THE BANGKOK CANALS ARE SIMILAR TO OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. THE FRAMEWORK OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH AND DECISION MAKING COULD BE USED IN OTHER PLACES WITH SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES HOW WATER MICROBIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY CHANGES OVER TIME IN THE CANALS AROUND THE BANG MOD AREA OF BANGKOK, THAILAND TO ASSESS IF THE WATER CAN BE USED FOR AGRICULTURE AND DOMESTIC PURPOSES. IN ADDITION, THE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN AND ALONG THE CANAL IS STUDIED TO UNDERSTAND CHANGES BASED ON WATER QUALITY. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCHERS BUILD AND USE CONTINUOUS WATER QUALITY SAMPLERS, DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PAPER-BASED SENSORS FOR WATER CHEMISTRY AND MICROBIAL PATHOGEN DETECTION, AND EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF WATER QUALITY ON THE MICROBIAL, PLANT, INSECT, AND ANIMAL LIFE FOUND WITHIN THE CANAL. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE CENTERED ON THE OBSERVATION THAT THE WATER HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY SALTY OVER THE PAST DECADE. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THIS RESULTS FROM WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY THE BANGKOK METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY OR INTRUSION OF SALT WATER FROM GULF OF THAILAND. QUESTIONS ALSO REMAIN ABOUT WHETHER THIS RESOURCE IS SAFE TO USE AS A WATER RESOURCE, AS CERTAIN MICROBES CAN HARM CROPS, PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE CANAL, OR PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE IN AND ALONG THE CANAL. STUDENT RESEARCHERS CONDUCT FOUR WEEKS OF RESEARCH EACH SUMMER IN THE SCIENTIFIC LABORATORIES AT KING MONGKUT'S UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY THONBURI (KMUTT) IN BANGKOK, WITH FIELD RESEARCH AT SITES ALONG THE CANALS. THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTS WORK CLOSELY WITH THEIR INTERNATIONAL THAI MENTORS ON A VARIETY OF EXPERIMENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITY, WATER QUALITY, AND WATER CHEMISTRY OF THE BANGKOK CANALS. THEY USE INNOVATIVE LOW-COST CONTINUOUS MONITORS AND PAPER SENSORS CREATED AND BUILT BY THE STUDENTS. THEY ALSO USE DNA SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS, AND CONDUCT FIELD SURVEYS TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIES PRESENT IN AND ALONG THE CANAL. AFTER THEIR SUMMER FIELD STUDIES IN BANGKOK, THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS WORK ON DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION, AND PRESENTATION OF RESULTS IN COLLABORATION WITH THEIR INTERNATIONAL MENTORS WHILE BACK ON CAMPUS AT PITZER AND SCRIPPS COLLEGES. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT THE SEMESTER BEFORE THEY TRAVEL TO THAILAND AND FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR AFTER THE FIELD STUDIES TO CONTINUE ANALYZING DATA TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WRITE MANUSCRIPTS, PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES, AND MENTOR A NEW COHORT OF STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MECHANISMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF CENTROMERE DRIVE IN MONKEYFLOWERS -MENDEL'S FIRST LAW STATES THAT PARENTS TRANSMIT THEIR OWN GENES AT RANDOM TO THE NEXT GENERATION. HOWEVER, SOME GENES AND CHROMOSOMES CAN CHEAT TO GET MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF COPIES IN EGGS AND SPERM, A PROCESS KNOWN AS DRIVE. CENTROMERES, WHICH GUIDE CHROMOSOMES THROUGH CELL DIVISION (MITOSIS AND MEIOSIS), CAN SELFISHLY DRIVE TO GAIN UNFAIR ACCESS TO THE SOLE EGG CELL IN FEMALES. BY DISRUPTING FAIR TRANSMISSION, SUCH DRIVE CAN DAMAGE THE HEALTH AND FERTILITY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. SCIENTISTS MUST STUDY DRIVE IN ACTION TO UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHEN CENTROMERES CHEAT, WHETHER LINKED FERTILITY COSTS ARE INEVITABLE, AND IF RESISTANCE IS POSSIBLE. THIS PROJECT STUDIES A DRIVING CENTROMERE FOUND IN THE MODEL PLANT YELLOW MONKEYFLOWER (MIMULUS GUTTATUS). IT INVESTIGATES HOW GENES AND OTHER DNA SEQUENCES WORK TOGETHER TO CAUSE DRIVE, HOW SOME PLANTS RESIST DRIVE, AND WHETHER THE SAME PROCESSES CAUSE SEED AND POLLEN LOSS. THE RESEARCH WILL INCREASE KNOWLEDGE KEY FOR MAINTAINING HUMAN AND CROP HEALTH, TRAIN DIVERSE SCIENTISTS IN MODERN GENOMIC METHODS, AND CREATE SHARED RESOURCES. AN INTEGRATED COURSE IMMERSES COLLEGE STUDENTS IN REAL GENETICS RESEARCH AND A SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SUPPORTS HANDS-ON LEARNING ABOUT PLANTS AND GENES. A COLLABORATIVE SCIENTIFIC TEAM FROM A LARGE RESEARCH INSTITUTION AND A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE BUILDS ON NEW CHROMOSOME-SCALE GENOME ASSEMBLIES IN YELLOW MONKEYFLOWERS TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF SELFISH CENTROMERE EVOLUTION. PROJECT 1 UNPACKS THE MECHANISM OF DRIVE WITH GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNCTIONALLY-DISTINCT CENTROMERES AND EVOLUTIONARY GENOMIC ANALYSES OF THE SELFISH CENTROMERE'S NOVEL GENE CONTENT. PROJECT 2 EXAMINES DRIVE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE LOSERS, USING KNOWN AND PREDICTED VARIATION IN RESISTANCE TO EXPLORE THE FUNCTIONAL MECHANISMS OF DRIVE AND ITS MULTIPLE EFFECTS ON FITNESS IN NATURAL POPULATIONS. PROJECT 3 ASKS WHAT FORCES SHAPE THE SPREAD OF A DRIVING CENTROMERE ACROSS COMPLEX LANDSCAPES AND ENHANCES UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION VIA COURSE-EMBEDDED AND SUMMER RESEARCH ON DRIVE?S INTERACTIONS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. TOGETHER, THESE PROJECTS ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MECHANISMS, CONSEQUENCES, AND DYNAMICS OF CENTROMERE EVOLUTION AND REVEAL HOW NATURAL SELECTION ACTS ACROSS SCALES OF ORGANIZATION. THIS PROJECT IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES (BIO-DEB), THE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR), AND GENETIC MECHANISMS (BIO-MCB). THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A HIGH-DENSITY ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE

LEVERAGING SYMBIOSIS AND DESERT BIOGEOGRAPHY FOR DISCOVERY OF HOST-SELECTED NATURAL PRODUCTS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: ECOLOGICALLY-GUIDED APPROACHES HAVE HELPED TO REINVIGORATE NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY DISCOVERY EFFORTS IN RECENT YEARS. SUCH APPROACHES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS IN WHICH CHEMICAL DEFENSES PRODUCED BY MICROBIAL SYMBIONTS BENEFIT A HOST ANIMAL. THESE ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN APPRECIATED TO BE UBIQUITOUS AND SAMPLING OF THESE SYSTEMS HAS AN IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF DELIVERING NOVEL, ACTIVE COMPOUNDS. HOWEVER, GENERALIZED APPROACHES FOR EFFICIENTLY ACCESSING NOVEL CHEMICAL SCAFFOLDS AND ANALOGS OF PROMISING COMPOUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED. AS SUCH, THE POTENTIAL FOR CHEMICAL DISCOVERY FROM SUCH SYSTEMS REMAINS UNREALIZED. THE PROPOSED PROJECT DEVELOPS A HOST-ASSOCIATED BIOGEOGRAPHY FRAMEWORK FOR CHEMICAL DISCOVERY BY TAPPING INTO A COMPLETELY UNEXPLORED ECOLOGICAL NICHE WITH OUTSTANDING DISCOVERY POTENTIAL: BACTERIAL SYMBIONTS OF TRACHYMYRMEX ANTS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST. IN ADDITION TO UNCOVERING NOVEL ANTIBIOTIC COMPOUNDS, THIS WORK WILL QUANTIFY CHEMICAL DIVERSITY ACROSS THIS NICHE AND DETERMINE GEOGRAPHIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT PREDICT THE PRESENCE OF ACTIVE NOVEL COMPOUNDS. IN AIM 1, A DIVERSE LIBRARY OF 150 NATURAL PRODUCT EXTRACTS WILL BE ASSEMBLED FROM CULTURES OF SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM SOUTHWESTERN TRACHYMYRMEX ANTS. THESE ANTS WILL BE SYSTEMATICALLY SAMPLED FROM SITES ACROSS THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST SUCH THAT THE LIBRARY CAPTURES DIVERSITY ACROSS MULTIPLE BIOGEOGRAPHY VARIABLES: LOCATION, HOST ANT SPECIES, AND HABITAT. AIM 2 WILL ESTABLISH HOW THESE BIOGEOGRAPHY VARIABLES PREDICT THE DISTRIBUTION OF ANTIBIOTIC ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL DIVERSITY ACROSS THIS LIBRARY. ANTIBIOTIC ACTIVITY SCREENING AGAINST BOTH ECOLOGICALLY-RELEVANT AND CLINICALLY-RELEVANT MICROBIAL PATHOGENS WILL ESTABLISH CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ECOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL ACTIVITY. METABOLOMICS ANALYSIS OF THIS LIBRARY WILL REVEAL HOW MOLECULES ARE DISTRIBUTED AS A FUNCTION OF BIOGEOGRAPHY VARIABLES. AIM 3 OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL DELIVER ON ECOLOGICALLY-GUIDED DISCOVERY FROM THIS UNEXPLORED NICHE BY CHARACTERIZING HIGHLY ACTIVE NOVEL COMPOUNDS FROM THIS LIBRARY, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON SYNERGISTIC ANTIBIOTICS. THROUGH ACTIVITY-GUIDED FRACTIONATION AND DETAILED CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, THIS AIM WILL YIELD 2-4 NOVEL BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS. THIS PROPOSAL WILL LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR FURTHER CHEMICAL DISCOVERY FROM THIS AND OTHER ECOLOGICAL NICHES. UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS WILL BE ENGAGED IN ALL COMPONENTS OF THIS WORK THROUGH MODULAR SUMMER AND SENIOR THESIS RESEARCH PROJECTS AS WELL AS A COURSE-BASED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. THIS PROJECT WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE RESEARCH AT THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES BY WOMEN AND OTHER GROUPS UNDERREPRESENTED IN SCIENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT OF MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS AT THE CLAREMONT COLLEGES THROUGH ENHANCED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ON SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH, THROUGH A VARIETY OF NEW COLLABORATIONS, AS WELL AS THROUGH BRINGING MODERN INSTRUMENTATION TO THE KECK SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.

US-GERMAN COLLABORATION: COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF COOPERATIVE SUCCESS USING NEURAL SIGNALS AND NETWORKS

MCA PILOT PUI: EVALUATING CLIMATE DRIVERS OF PLANT DEMOGRAPHY -MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS ON PLANT POPULATIONS IS CRITICAL TO OUR COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND HOW THEY WILL RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE. INCREASINGLY, RESEARCHERS APPROACH THIS PROBLEM BY DEVELOPING STATISTICAL MODELS THAT PREDICT PLANT SURVIVORSHIP, GROWTH, AND REPRODUCTION FROM WEATHER DATA. THE RESULTS CAN THEN BE USED TO FORECAST POPULATION GROWTH UNDER DIFFERENT POTENTIAL FUTURE CLIMATES. STILL, IDENTIFYING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WAYS THAT CLIMATE AFFECTS PLANTS IS CHALLENGING. MANY DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF WEATHER COULD BE IMPORTANT, FROM AVERAGE YEARLY TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL TO EXTREME HEAT OR WATER STRESS OVER A SHORT TIME. MANY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME, AND SEPARATING THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER FROM OTHER FACTORS CAN BE DIFFICULT. ALSO, MULTIPLE POTENTIAL METHODS COULD BE USED, AND FEW STUDIES HAVE EVALUATED HOW THE CHOICE OF METHOD MIGHT INFLUENCE THE RESULTS. THIS PROJECT WILL ANALYZE LONG-TERM DATA FROM MULTIPLE PLANT SPECIES IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA TO COMPARE METHODS FOR MODELING THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER VARIATION ON SURVIVAL, REPRODUCTION, AND POPULATION GROWTH. THE RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR PREDICTING WEATHER EFFECTS ON PLANT POPULATIONS, AS WELL AS ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGES SUCH AS INCREASED DROUGHT ON THIS ECOSYSTEM. THE PROJECT WILL TRAIN A MID-CAREER SCIENTIST AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN RECENTLY DEVELOPED DATA ANALYSIS METHODS, EXPANDING ACCESS TO KEY SKILLS. THIS RESEARCH WILL ANALYZE 17?27-YEAR LONG DATA SETS FOR SIX SPECIES FROM THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS (CI),10 YEARS OF DATA FOR A SEVENTH SPECIES FROM A NEARBY MAINLAND SITE, AND ARTIFICIALLY CONSTRUCTED DATA SIMULATED FROM KNOWN PARAMETERS. THE ANALYSES WILL QUANTIFY CORRELATIONS AMONG DIFFERENT POTENTIAL WEATHER METRICS, ASSESS WHETHER CORRELATIONS ARE CHANGING, AND DETERMINE WHICH METRICS SHOW TRENDS THAT COULD BE CONFOUNDED WITH OTHER CAUSES OF POPULATION DECLINE. ALTERNATIVE STATISTICAL MODELS LINKING WEATHER VARIABLES TO DEMOGRAPHIC RATES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EACH OF THE FOCAL PLANT SPECIES, WITH MULTIPLE METHODS GROUNDED IN LIKELIHOOD-BASED METRICS SUCH AS AIC OR IN CROSS-VALIDATION APPROACHES. THE RESULTS OF THESE ALTERNATIVE METHODS WILL BE COMPARED BASED ON WHICH VARIABLES AND TIME WINDOWS ARE INCLUDED, THE STRENGTH OF RELATIONSHIPS IDENTIFIED FOR DIFFERENT PARAMETERS, AND THE STRENGTH OF SUPPORT FOR THE MODELS. FINALLY, THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP DEMOGRAPHIC POPULATION MODELS FOR TWO OF THE SPECIES, TESTING SENSITIVITY OF MODEL PREDICTIONS UNDER DIFFERENT CLIMATE SCENARIOS TO THE METHODS USED FOR PARAMETERIZING LINKS WITH WEATHER VARIABLES. ANALYSES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC RATES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO VARIATION IN MODEL PREDICTIONS AND UNCERTAINTY IN DRIVER ESTIMATION. THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHERS NAVIGATING THE COMPLEX DIVERSITY OF STATISTICAL APPROACHES AVAILABLE TO MODEL WEATHER EFFECTS ON PLANT DEMOGRAPHY, IN ADDITION TO NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE CLIMATE DRIVERS MOST IMPORTANT TO ONGOING AND FUTURE CHANGES IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA PLANT COMMUNITIES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CAREER: ONTOGENY AND EVOLUTION OF AVIAN LOCOMOTION: THE FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RUDIMENTARY STRUCTURES -THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS AN IMPORTANT AND LONG-STANDING KNOWLEDGE GAP BY EXPLORING THE FUNCTIONAL RELEVANCE OF RUDIMENTARY LOCOMOTOR STRUCTURES IN BIRDS. OVER A 500-MILLION-YEAR HISTORY, ANIMALS HAVE INVADED DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, ACQUIRING NEW BODY PLANS AND MODES OF LOCOMOTION. THEORY CAN EXPLAIN HOW THESE BODY PLANS WORK IN THEIR FULLY DEVELOPED STATES, BUT IF STRUCTURES EVOLVE SLOWLY, THROUGH INCREMENTAL, ADAPTIVE (BENEFICIAL) STAGES, HOW DO ORGANISMS ACQUIRE NEW AND COMPLEX STRUCTURES THAT SEEM TO BE USEFUL ONLY IN THEIR FULLY ASSEMBLED FORMS? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF HALF A WING OR ONLY PART OF AN EYE? THIS ?DILEMMA? OF INCIPIENT OR RUDIMENTARY STAGES HAS LONG TROUBLED EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGISTS BUT IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY OF LIFE. RUDIMENTARY STAGES ARE LESS STUDIED, BUT EQUALLY RELEVANT, AMONG DEVELOPING ORGANISMS AND ANIMALS WITH VESTIGIAL FEATURES, WHICH NAVIGATE ENVIRONMENTS USING UNDERDEVELOPED STRUCTURES THAT NOT ONLY LACK SPECIALIZATIONS, BUT OFTEN RESEMBLE FEATURES OF EXTINCT RELATIVES. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE DILEMMA OF INCIPIENT STAGES BY COMPREHENSIVELY EXPLORING THE FUNCTIONAL RELEVANCE OF RUDIMENTARY LOCOMOTOR STRUCTURES IN THREE GROUPS OF BIRDS: IMMATURE BIRDS WITH DEVELOPING WINGS, ADULT BIRDS WITH REDUCED WINGS, AND EXTINCT BIRDS WITH INCIPIENT ?PROTOWINGS.? THE RESEARCH WILL EMPOWER YOUNG SCIENTISTS BY (I) EQUIPPING PARTICIPATING STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN STEM AT AN INSTITUTION WHERE APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE STUDENTS ARE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS AND MORE THAN HALF ARE WOMEN, (II) INCORPORATING RESEARCH INTO CLASSES AND EXPANDING A CAMPUS MUSEUM, AND (III) SHARING THE IMPORTANCE OF RUDIMENTARY STRUCTURES IN A CHILDREN?S BOOK THAT IMPARTS AN ENCOURAGING AND RELATABLE LESSON. HOW DO RUDIMENTARY VERSIONS OF HIGHLY SPECIALIZED STRUCTURES FUNCTION? THIS RESEARCH COUPLES FIELD OBSERVATIONS WITH BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSES AND MUSCULOSKELETAL MODELING TO EXPLORE THE GAIN AND LOSS OF WINGS ON THREE TIME SCALES: (1) INCIPIENT WINGS IN EXTANT DEVELOPING BIRDS. MOST IMMATURE BIRDS HAVE SMALL, ?DINOSAUR-LIKE? WINGS, WHICH ARE VITAL TO SURVIVAL IN WATERFOWL AND GAMEBIRDS AND LIKELY PLAY A KEY BUT DIVERSE ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW LOCOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT (MORPHOLOGY, PERFORMANCE, BEHAVIOR) IN A WING-DEPENDENT LONG-DISTANCE FLYER DIFFERS FROM THAT OF A PREVIOUSLY-STUDIED, MORE LEG-DEPENDENT, BURST FLYER. (2) REDUCED WINGS IN EXTANT BIRDS. RUDIMENTARY FLIGHT APPARATUSES ALSO OCCUR IN BIRDS THAT ARE SECONDARILY (SEMI)FLIGHTLESS OR TEMPORARILY SO DUE TO MOLT OR INJURY, AND SEEM TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT BUT UNDER-APPRECIATED CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOCOMOTION. THIS PROJECT WILL QUANTIFY MORPHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE DURING A SECONDARY LOSS OF FLIGHT IN WATERFOWL, AND DOCUMENT BEHAVIOR IN ZOO BIRDS WITH SMALL WINGS. (3) RUDIMENTARY ?WINGS? IN EXTINCT DINOSAURS. THE EVOLUTION OF BIRD FLIGHT IS PRESERVED BY DINOSAUR FOSSILS WITH ?PROTOWINGS,? WHICH ARE CHALLENGING TO DECIPHER BUT INTEGRAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE AVIAN BODY PLAN. THIS PROJECT WILL USE BIOMECHANICAL RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED IN LIVING BIRDS TO INVESTIGATE LOCOMOTOR POTENTIAL IN AN EXTINCT DINOSAUR (ARCHAEOPTERYX). COLLECTIVELY, THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS AN IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE GAP, FOSTER CROSS-DISCIPLINARY INTERACTIONS, AND TRAIN STUDENTS AT THE UNDERGRADUATE, MASTER?S AND POSTDOCTORAL LEVELS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ABOVE, THIS WORK CAN HELP INSPIRE A WIDE ARRAY OF FUTURE SCIENTISTS TO CREATIVELY EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF BODY PLANS ALONG THE TREE OF LIFE. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CLAREMONT COLLEGES MATHEMATICS REU SITE

RUI: LEVERAGING COINAGE METALS FOR CARBON-NITROGEN AND CARBON-PHOSPHOROUS BOND FORMATION -WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CHEMICAL CATALYSIS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR ANNA WENZEL OF SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS STUDYING TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEXES TO CATALYZE REACTIONS IN ALKENES, ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND AGRICHEMICAL INDUSTRIES. THE HYDROAMINATION OF ALKENES IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SYNTHETIC TARGETS, AS IT CAN PROVIDE AN ECONOMICAL ROUTE TO THE AMINES USED IN LIFE-SCIENCES INDUSTRIES. WITH AMINE PRODUCTION PREDICTED TO GROW TO USD $26.7 BILLION BY 2030, THE CATALYSTS PROPOSED IN THIS PROJECT ARE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE RECOGNIZED NEED FOR SAFE, READILY AVAILABLE, AND ROBUST SYSTEMS FOR USE IN DRUG AND MATERIALS DESIGN. THIS PROJECT IS WELL-POSITIONED TO ADDRESS STUDENT TRAINING IN STEM BY BUILDING ESSENTIAL SKILLS. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CHEMICAL CATALYSIS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, PROFESSOR ANNA WENZEL OF SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS STUDYING THE USE OF COINAGE METALS, COPPER AND SILVER, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CATALYTIC SYSTEMS FOR THE ADDITION OF N-H AND P-H TO OLEFINS. THE USE OF COPPER AND SILVER IN THE INTERMOLECULAR ASYMMETRIC HYDROAMINATION OF ALKENES, PARTICULARLY IN THE ANTI-MARKOVNIKOV SENSE, REMAINS UNDERDEVELOPED AND WILL PROVIDE A WEALTH OF FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION. CHIRAL COMPLEXES WILL BE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP ASYMMETRIC VARIANTS OF THESE REACTIONS. THESE PROTOCOLS WILL THEN BE USED FOR THE ANALOGOUS PREPARATION OF ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS VIA THE HYDROPHOSPHORYLATION AND HYDROPHOSPHINYLATION OF ALKENES. THROUGH A ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS, THIS PROJECT WILL FULFILL THE NSF'S STRATEGIC PLAN OF ADVANCING SCIENCE AND EDUCATING FUTURE STEM PROFESSIONALS. IT WILL ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF THE INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES EMPLOYED IN PROFESSOR WENZEL?S LABORATORY TO IDENTIFY METHODS THAT BEST ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. IN ADDITION, PROFESSOR WENZEL?S EFFECTIVE USE OF MENTORSHIP TO PREVENT POST-BACCALAUREATE ATTRITION FROM THE SCIENCES WILL CONTINUE TO BE IMPLEMENTED. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

IDENTIFICATION OF RISK AND PREVENTIVE FACTORS FOR ELDER FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: USING MULTI-PROXY PALEO DATA TO CONSTRAIN NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC HYDROGRAPHIC VARIABILITY IN THE GULF OF MAINE SYSTEM OVER THE LAST 250 YEARS

THE RUTH CHANDLER WILLIAMSON GALLERY AT SCRIPPS COLLEGE WILL CONSERVE FIVE CHINESE PAINTINGS IN ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION, RENDERING THEM BENEFICIAL AS TEACHING RESOURCES AND SUITABLE FOR EXHIBITION. THE 15TH-19TH CENTURY PAINTINGS FROM THE MING AND QING DYNASTIES WILL BE CLEANED, REMOUNTED, AND RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL HANGING SCROLL FORMAT BY A CONSULTING CONSERVATOR AT HIS STUDIO LOCATION. WHEN THE CONSERVATION IS COMPLETED, THE CONSERVATOR WILL DELIVER A PUBLIC LECTURE TO AN AUDIENCE INCLUDING ART CONSERVATION INTERNS; STUDENTS IN ART HISTORY, ART CONSERVATION, AND ASIAN STUDIES; FACULTY; AND OTHERS. THE FINISHED WORKS WILL BE DISPLAYED IN A PUBLIC EXHIBITION AT THE CLARK HUMANITIES MUSEUM AT SCRIPPS COLLEGE.

TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION OF CHINESE PAINTINGS DATING FROM THE 16TH TO 19TH CENTURIES.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

CONFERENCE: SENSORY PREDICTION, ENGINEERED AND EVOLVED -THIS WORKSHOP WILL BRING TOGETHER SENSORY PREDICTION EXPERTS TO COLLABORATE ON AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING BOTH THE BRAIN AND HOW TO IMPROVE PREDICTION ALGORITHMS. BOTH FIELDS ARE WELL-STUDIED, BUT THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE TWO FIELDS IS NASCENT. THOUGH DIVERSE IN APPROACH, ALL PARTICIPANTS? RESEARCH CONVERGES IN USING A SINGLE DEFINITION OF WHAT ONE NEEDS TO INFER IN ORDER TO PREDICT. THIS DEFINITION HAS INSPIRED BIOLOGICAL WORK AND MANY PREDICTION ALGORITHMS, WHICH WORK TOGETHER IN TANDEM: AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIOLOGY HAS INSPIRED IMPROVEMENTS TO PREDICTION ALGORITHMS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PREDICTION ALGORITHMS HAVE LED TO NEW TESTABLE HYPOTHESES ABOUT PARTS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS. IN CONVENING THIS GLOBALLY DIVERSE, INTERDISCIPLINARY SESSION, THIS WORKSHOP ADVANCES THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY?S ABILITY TO SOLVE THE PREDICTION PROBLEM?HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE GIVEN THE PAST. SCIENTISTS PREDICT FUTURE INPUT FROM PAST INPUT. THIS CAN TAKE THE FORM OF PREDICTION OF NATURAL VIDEO, NATURAL AUDIO, OR TEXT, WHICH HAS FAMOUSLY LED TO SUCH PRODUCTS AS LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS AND PROPRIETARY ALGORITHMS FOR STOCK MARKET PREDICTION. ORGANISMS AND PARTS OF ORGANISMS MAY HAVE EVOLVED TO EFFICIENTLY PREDICT THEIR INPUT AS WELL, AND THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THEY DO IS A CORNERSTONE OF THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE. HOW TO DESIGN ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS TO PREDICT INPUT IS STILL A MATTER OF DEBATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE HAS CONTINUOUS INPUT AND A POSSIBLE PREDICTION STATE AT EVERY POINT IN TIME. THIS WORKSHOP BRINGS TOGETHER RESEARCHERS WHO APPROACH DESIGNING ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS TO PREDICT INPUT THROUGH THE LENS OF BIOLOGY WITH MACHINE LEARNING, INFORMATION THEORY, AND DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS FOR A FIVE-DAY CONFERENCE IN SUMMER OF 2023 AT THE SANTA FE INSTITUTE, A MECCA FOR COMPLEX SYSTEMS RESEARCH THAT SHOULD LEAD TO A UNIFYING FRAMEWORK FOR SENSORY PREDICTION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

TO SUPPORT THE SECOND PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CONSERVATION TO CONSERVE CHINESE TEXTILES FROM THE RUTH CHANDLER WILLIAMSON GALLERY.

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT A PERFORMANCE PROJECT COMMEMORATING THE 1871 LOS ANGELES CHINATOWN MASSACRE.

TO SUPPORT A COMMISSIONING, PERFORMANCE, AND RECORDING PROJECT OF NEW VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC BY CALIFORNIA COMPOSERS PREBEN ANTONSEN, AIDA SHIRAZI, AND FAHAD SIADAT.

TO SUPPORT&NBSP;THE COMMISSIONING OF A NEW WORK BY AMERICAN COMPOSER MARJORIE MERRYMAN.&NBSP;

TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSIONING OF A NEW WORK BY CAMBODIAN-AMERICAN COMPOSER CHINARY UNG.

TO SUPPORT A COMMISSION FOR COMPOSER KAROLA OBERMUELLER AND RELATED COSTS.

TO SUPPORT "ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CONSERVATION: CONSERVING A DECORATIVE AND DRAMATIC CHINESE TEXTILE."

IN RECOGNITION OF SCRIPPS COLLEGE ACADEMY FOR PROVIDING A FREE YEAR-ROUND COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAM UTILIZING A CURRICULUM OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HUM