Grant funds were provided to researchers at 11 network institutions with the express purpose of igniting increased grant applications and awards. As illustrated to the left, the investment of $17.7 million resulted in a >12-fold increase in new research funds coming to Idaho.
Do you have an Idaho INBRE success story you would like to share? Please click on the applicable link below to share your story!
Dr. Dustin Van Hofwegen
Dr. Dustin Van Hofwegen’s Story
An age-old question, going back to Darwin, involves the strength of selective pressure on evolutionary outcomes. Darwin proposed that if a population were subjected to a ‘strong’ selective pressure the frequency and type of mutations generated would be different compared to a population subjected to weak selective pressure. Dustin Van Hofwegen, an INBRE-supported graduate student, and two University of Idaho faculty found a way to test this question. They show that there is no difference in the frequency or type of mutations generated in strong versus weak selective pressure. Their paradigm-shifting work resulted in a Journal of Bacteriology publication that requires the re-interpretation of the famous Richard Lenski long term evolutionary experiments. Both groups use E. coli bacteria to study evolution. In 1989, Lenski set up 12 identical cultures of E. coli in a medium containing glucose that supports only 6-7 cell divisions (generations) in a day. Lenski’s laboratory maintains the cultures by doing daily 1:100 dilutions into fresh medium. They have been doing this for the past 27 years. Under this weak selective pressure, the 12 Lenski cultures are adapting to use glucose very efficiently, but surprisingly the changes hardly differ among the 12 flasks. However, after 30,000 generations (~15 years), one of the 12 cultures looked very different than the others. It was growing rapidly. Lenski shows that the E. coli in this single flask evolved the ability to grow aerobically on citrate (a component in the glucose medium). Lenski calls it a rare innovative evolutionary event and hypothesized that it was dependent on numerous ‘potentiating’ mutations that occurred over the previous 15 years. Van Hofwegen et al., using a strong selective pressure rather than a weak one, show that within a few days to weeks, rather than 15 years, E. coli adapts to use citrate. Also, using the same weak conditions in Lenski’s experiments, except that cultures were transferred weekly instead of daily, they show that E. coli rapidly and readily adapts to use citrate. Genomic sequencing of Van Hofwegen’s ‘evolved’ E. coli show they are the same class of mutations identified by Lenski’s experiments. Thus, Van Hofwegen’s work shows that the frequency and type of mutations that occur are independent of selective pressure and that the numerous E. coli mutations that occurred during the 15 years of the Lenski experiments were not needed for, nor did they contribute to, the generation of E. coli that use citrate. This work contributes to our understanding of how organisms adapt and suggests there are unexpected limitations to species change.
North Idaho College campus
High-impact Practice in the Sciences at North Idaho College
Idaho INBRE industry internships at North Idaho College provide undergraduate students a pipeline to careers in the workforce. They are often the best choice for geographically-bound students with academic potential who do not have access to a research university.
Industry Interns are paired with one of more than 15 different industry laboratories. The industry labs take the entry-level students and provide 400 hours of bench work, which is time equivalent to 10 college-level laboratory classes. The Industry Interns are paid a living wage stipend by INBRE and are thus enabled to enroll in more college courses. They are highly successful due to the “learn and earn” arrangement.
Successful partnerships benefit both the students and the employers and can strengthen relationships between communities and their institutions of higher education.
Over the years, numerous success stories have surfaced as a result of these high-impact practices and through the efforts and motivation of the professors and students involved in INBRE.
Former North Idaho College (NIC) student Dr. Ingrid Fruth was NIC’s first INBRE intern. Dr. Fruth began at NIC as a nursing student. After earning an associate’s degree at NIC, Dr. Fruth went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, and a Ph.D. in microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. “INBRE supported every pivotal point in my journey,” Fruth said.
Veronica Hendricks began at NIC as a business student. After taking a science class, she discovered her passion for research. “INBRE kept opening doors for me. I did not know what was on the other side, but I walked through every door,” she said. Hendricks completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
Mason Fredrickson came to NIC planning to complete a certificate in the health professions. He now has a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and works for a molecular technology firm. He said, “North Idaho College and INBRE changed my life!”
Tom Croschere, M.D., worked as a miner and came to NIC knowing that he wanted to practice medicine. “My participation in INBRE helped me integrate various class disciplines, which developed my skills as a scientist,” he said.
NIH support has changed the culture on NIC’s campus. Students are motivated to reach a higher education level than they previously realized possible, faculty and staff have higher expectations for student achievement, and administrators and community members are proud of improved partnerships. The North Idaho College “INBRE family” has an exceptional esprit de corps.
Idaho INBRE Participant Honors & Awards
2024
- Dr. Anamaria Zavala (BSU) received the AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award [American Association for Cancer Research]; March 2024
- Student Julia Major (UI) received a 2024 NSF GRFP Award [National Science Foundation]; April 2024
- Former student Nicholas Pancheri (UI) received a 2024 NSF GRFP Award [National Science Foundation]; April 2024
- Student Dayna Buitron (UI) received the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship [Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation]; April 2024
- Dr. Sophia Theodossiou (BSU) received the 2024 Beckman Young Investigator Award [Beckman Foundation]; June 2024
- Dr. Ken Cornell (BSU) received the 2024 INBRE Mentoring award [NISBRE]; June 2024
- Student Sierra Keele (UI) received a Student Travel Award [NISBRE]; June 2024
2023
- Student Haley Bridgewater (BSU) was selected for the ASM Intermountain Branch Lightning Talk Student Award [ASM Intermountain Branch]; February 2023
- Student Kyra Lockett (LCSC) received the HERC Undergraduate Research Award [Idaho State Board of Education]; March 2023
- Student Abucar Mohamed (CoI) was awarded a National Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Research Award [Society of Toxicology]; March 2023
- Dr. Matt Bernards (UI) received the Presidential Mid-Career Faculty Award [University of Idaho]; April 2023
- Dr. Devaleena Pradhan (ISU) received the Outstanding Service Award [Idaho State University]; April 2023
- Dr. Daniel Fologea (BSU) received the 2023 Mentor of the Year Award [Boise State University]; April 2023
- Student Sabrina Mead (BSU) received the Presidential Scholar Award [Boise State University Graduate Showcase]; April 2023
- Student Maria Pou (BSU) was awarded Top Honor Award [Boise State University College of Arts and Sciences]; April 2023
- Dr. Srinath Pashikanti (ISU) received the Teacher of the Year 2023 Award [College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University]; May 2023
- Dr. Shelley McGuire (UI) received the University of Idaho Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Award [University of Idaho]; May 2023
- Professor Rhena Cooper (NIC) received the Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award [North Idaho College Foundation]; May 2023
- Student Abucar Mohamed (CoI) received the Outstanding Biology Student Award [The College of Idaho]; May 2023
- Student Dalton Miller (BSU) received the College of Arts and Sciences Top Honor Award for poster presentation [Boise State University Graduate Student Showcase]; May 2023
- Dr. Erin Mannen (BSU) received 3 awards: Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, Graduate Research Mentor Award, and Golden Apple Award [Boise State University]; May 2023
- Dr. Sydney Boutros’ (BSU) paper “Age, sex, and apolipoprotein E isoform alter contextual fear learning, neuronal activation, and baseline DNA damage in the hippocampus” was selected as Outstanding Journal Article of the Year [OHSU School of Medicine]; May 2023
- Student Sarah Goldrod (BSU) received the Master’s Student Award for Best Poster [Northwest Biomechanics Symposium]; May 2023
- Dr. Diana Mitchell (UI) received the Richard Heimsch Faculty Fellowship Award [University of Idaho College of Science]; July 2023
- Student Peter Wieber (UI) won 1st place Poster [RAIN Western Regional Conference, New Mexico]; August 2023
- Dr. Konrad Meister (BSU) won the Journal of Physical Chemistry B Lectureship Award [Phys Division of American Chemical Society]; August 2023
- Student Benjamin Bailey (BSU) received a HERC Fellowship [Higher Education Research Council]; August 2023
- Dr. Devaleena Pradhan (ISU) received the Broadening Participation Award for promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice [Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology]; September 2023
- Student Idris Korol (UI) won Best Virtual Poster Presentation [University of Idaho College of Science Expo]; October 2023
- Student Rosie Hill (UI) received the Best Student Poster Award [American Society for Microbiology]; November 2023
- Former Ph.D. student Ashley Farre (UI) won the Dean’s Graduate Award [University of Idaho College of Science]; December 2023
- Idaho INBRE PD/PI Carolyn Bohach won the Maxine Bell Award [College of Southern Idaho]; December 2023
2022
- Dr. Courtney Jenkins (ISU) received the Distinguished Researcher Award [Idaho State University]; April 2022
- Dr. Nathan Schiele (UI) received the Career Impact Award [University of Idaho Career Services]; April 2022
- Dr. Patrick Hrdlicka (UI) received the Donald Crawford Graduate Faculty Mentoring Award [University of Idaho]; April 2022
- Dr. Amy Doetsch (CSI) was promoted to Distinguished Professor [College of Southern Idaho]; May 2022
- Dr. Jared Barrott (ISU) was awarded the Teacher of the Year award [Idaho State University College of Pharmacy]; May 2022
- Dr. Devaleena Pradhan (ISU) received an NSF CAREER Award [National Science Foundation]; June 2022
- Dr. Nathan Schiele (UI) received the Alumni Award for Excellence – Inspirational Mentor Award [University of Idaho Office of Alumni Relations]; December 2022
- Dr. Don Warner (BSU) received the NISBRE 2022 Session 1 Best Presentation Award [National IDeA Symposium]; December 2022
- Student Emma Tussey (ISU) received an Idaho Rural Interdisciplinary Health Collaborative (IRIHC) Fellowship [National Health Service Corps (HRSA)]; August 2022
…. MORE PAST HONORS/AWARDS TO BE ADDED SOON!
