Principal Investigator

Sylvia Fromherz

I grew up with 10 siblings on a dairy farm near the Oregon coast. The natural beauty of the area nurtured my fascination with biology. Fast forward a few years and I received a B.A. in Biology/Marine Biology from Oregon State University (OSU, Corvallis, OR), and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Brandeis University (Waltham, MA). Along the way I had the good fortune to study in Germany for a year and participate in two immersive marine biology research education programs, one thru OSU in Newport, OR and the other with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

At SVSU, courses I regularly teach include Biol. 182 Intro to Cell and Molecular Biology, Biol. 360 Cell Biology, Biol. 451 Biology of Cancer, and Biol. 454 Human Genetics. I am especially interested in teaching research-critical skills, and developing research-based pedagogy to better support student learning from diverse populations.

The Current Crew

ANDREW

Andrew Reel, from Saginaw, MI, is a Biology major at Saginaw Valley State University. He hopes to eventually pursue a career in biotechnology. Andrew began researching with Dr. Fromherz in the fall semester of 2019, first working on the optogenetics chick project and then moving to the Tetrahymena microplastics project in 2020. He has written a student led mini-grant for wet-lab PPE to maintain safety when performing wet-lab procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Andrew intends to continue working as a student researcher with Dr. Fromherz through his academic career at Saginaw Valley State University.

NATALIE

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A Saint Charles native, Natalie Delemeester began working with Dr. Fromherz in the summer of 2020 on the microplastics project.Although she had not presented at a scientific conference prior to this experience, she has presented at regional and national writing center conferences. She also won the 2020 Braun award for writing excellence in Science, Engineering, and Technology. Her on campus activities include tutoring at the SVSU Writing Center and playing Women's Rugby. After graduating in 2020 with a biology major and chemistry minor, Natalie plans to pursue a career in family medicine.

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DAN

Dan Keller, from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, graduated from SVSU with a Biology degree in May of 2020, planning to attend dental school in the Fall of 2021. He began working with Dr. Fromherz in the Fall of 2019 by continuing the microplastics projects of his predecessors. Dan was awarded a student-led research grant from the Undergraduate Research Program (UGRP) at SVSU for the Spring 2020 semester to investigate the impact of microplastics on phagocytosis in a unicellular ciliate. He also worked on the optogenetics project during the beginning of the Winter 2020 semester. He presented his microplastics work at the SVSU UGRP and SVSU science, engineering, and technology virtual symposia in the spring of 2020. Dan intends to remain as active as he can in research efforts with the group until Fall 2021. Outside of academia, Dan likes to do anything outdoors from backpacking to kayaking to disc golfing.

ERICA

Erica Behnfeld is from Fenton, Michigan. A freshmen at SVSU, she is double majoring in Biochemistry and Cell, Molecular, and Biomedical Science. She was introduced to Dr. Fromherz’s Tetrahymena work through a Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center funded internship at SVSU. During this internship, she analyzed water samples from the Saginaw Bay Watershed and practiced the pulse/chase method of research. A rewarding and exciting project, it led her to the Tetrahymena project. Erica has a self-professed love of being active in both academia and her community, as illustrated by her participation in the Honors and Global Foundation Scholars Program. Erica is also passionate about caring for animals and has fostered for and volunteered with local animal shelters for over eight years.

Danielle

Danielle Paten is a Biology Major and Chemistry Minor from Bay City, MI. After graduation she is hoping to attend chiropractic school at Life University in Marietta, Georgia. Danielle is involved in the optogenetics research, and is excited as it is her first foray into individual research. Some of her other activities include active membership in the Health Professions Association, the pre-chiropractic club, and the Alternative Breaks Program on campus. In her spare moments, Danielle loves to go on road trips with friends, chase sunrises and sunsets, and spend time quality time with other people.

Nathan

Originally from Marietta, GA, Nathan is a fourth year Biology Major/Chemistry Minor and plans on applying to medical school in the Spring of 2021. He was originally recruited to SVSU to play football and received a scholarship after playing for just two years at his high school in Novi, MI. After taking a step back from football early in 2019, Nathan has since devoted his time to focusing on his academics and is a member of the Roberts Fellows Program, Global Foundation Scholars, NEST Ambassadors, and former Study Abroad Peer Advisor. He is excited to be a member of the Optogenetics Team and this is his first research project. “I am really excited to see how much I can learn from conducting research. Having the opportunity in your undergrad is a great way to learn if research is something that you enjoy doing and allows you to learn from any mistakes made along the way”.