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Marquis Scholar Stephen Tanner ’04 (Florence, Ala.) recently presented his research at the Neurobiology of Drosophila meeting hosted by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, and he’s continuing his work in a year-long, independent research project.
Along with Elaine Reynolds, assistant professor of biology and head of neuroscience, Tanner researched the effects of epilepsy this summer through experiments on mutant Drosophila fruit flies. Reynolds recently obtained a $168,779 National Science Foundation grant for her Drosophila research.
A neuroscience major, Tanner used the flies to model the effects of epilepsy in humans. Epileptic seizures often develop because the brain overreacts to outside stimulus, and then becomes overexcited. In these cases, certain circuits in the human brain are defective and cannot overcome the excitement, Reynolds explains.
In order to advance the understanding of epileptic behavior, Reynolds enlisted the help of Tanner through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students collaborate with faculty on research while earning a stipend. Lafayette is a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the 180 students who participate in EXCEL each year go on to publish papers in scholarly journals and/or present their research at conferences.
“This summer Stephen looked at the effects of the antioxidant melanotonin on lifespan and neurodegeneration in these mutants,” says Reynolds.
His responsibilities included creating an outside stimulus for the fruit flies. He used a vortex, a machine that shakes up its contents, which caused the flies to go through a series of unhealthy behaviors.
“Normal flies will just shake it off and go about their business,” Tanner explains, adding that mutant fruit flies usually become paralyzed for about 30 seconds and then go through a series of seizures for about 15 seconds.
Tanner tested the effectiveness of the anti-oxidant melatonin in enabling the mutant fruit flies to overcome the outside stimulus and survive for a longer time.
“Steven pretty much worked full time this summer to carry forward the research,” Reynolds explains. “This has been an opportunity for him to develop his critical thinking skills and to put his neuroscience knowledge into practice. Stephen is the kind of person who takes full advantage of his opportunities.”
Tanner is now conducting independent research project under Reynolds’ guidance that builds upon the summer research and, if successful, will enable him to graduate with honors in neuroscience. He is seeking to identify the parts of the brain responsible for epilepsy by locating the relevant circuits in certain flies with a similar condition.
“For his thesis he is trying to correlate the brain areas where he sees neurodegeneration with areas of the brain responsible for producing seizures,” adds Reynolds. “He is progressively turning off neurotransmission in regions of the brain to see which are necessary for seizure to occur.”
Tanner feels fortunate for having participated in the EXCEL Scholars program and to be able to continue his research this year. He says that working closely with Reynolds has provided him with a lot of knowledge about research techniques and scientific theories, and the professor was able to elaborate on the theories Tanner used in the EXCEL project.
“It’s almost like [working] with another student who knows a lot more than you,” Tanner says. “I would consider Professor Reynolds a pretty good friend right now.”
“Steven brought some great music to share with me in the lab as we spent hours dissecting fly brains,” Reynolds adds.
Tanner is very pleased with the learning environment at Lafayette and the valuable research experience he is gaining.
“You have small classes, and it gives you a good opportunity to get into your research,” he said, adding that EXCEL gave him the advantage of working with a professor one-on-one. “It’s not like someone telling you what to do; they’re doing it along with you.”
“It gave me a better understanding of experiments and the scientific method,” Tanner continues. “You really learn how much time and effort goes into a long-term project.”
A graduate of Coffee High School, Tanner is active in campus activities, and has been involved with theater productions, including The Nativity and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He is now playing the part of Audry II in Little Shop of Horrors. Tanner is also the vice president of the Chi Phi fraternity. Upon graduation in May, he hopes to head to medical school.
Tanner is one of many Lafayette students who have presented their research at academic conferences. As a national leader in undergraduate research. Lafayette’s contingent is among the largest at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Over the past five years, more than 130 Lafayette students have presented results from research with faculty mentors, or under their guidance, at the conference.