This project is available for students who are interested in taking on an undergraduate research project (BISC 498 or BISC 499) under the pedagogical research category. Project Description: I am looking for 4-6 students to work collaboratively on a project aimed at the gamification of a BISC course. The project will be divided into several sections that will somewhat vary depending on the skills and interests students bring to the project. We will begin with a literature search on the topic of the use of games in education, followed by a rationale (benefits/drawbacks) for using a game platform in a course. We will then select Bisc 202 or Bisc 333 and determine what format the game should take, which learning outcomes are best suited for this purpose, how mastery of the outcomes can be rewarded in the game, and how achievement in the game can be connected to course credit. There is a variety of models or forms this can take - we will examine several and collaboratively select one. We will work on outlining the steps needed to develop the game and will finish up with a proposal and/or storyboards, again depending on the skills and interests of project participants, and the direction the group wants to take. Skills you will develop or improve: Reading the pedagogical literature Teamwork skills Personal management, organization, meeting deadlines etc. Collaborative writing of rational, report, and/or proposal Not a straight A student? Who cares? I am looking for a variety of students, who are looking to develop skills and use some creativity. If you are enthusiastic, hardworking, reliable and willing to explore some unknown territory, that is good enough for me.

We are seeking an undergraduate student interested in ecology, conservation, and animal behaviour to assist a MSc student with collecting data on songbird space use in urban greenspaces during summer 2024. No prior field experience necessary but applicants must at least think birds are cool and enjoy being outdoors! Applicants must be comfortable navigating through dense (often thorny) vegetation, working in busy urban parks, starting work before sunrise, working (some) weekends, and must have access to a vehicle to travel to/from field locations throughout Metro Vancouver as sites are inaccessible by public transportation. In this position you will gain experience with ecological field work, hand-held radio telemetry, and mist netting/bird banding. This is also a great opportunity to build connections with researchers at Simon Fraser University and Environment and Climate Change Canada. If interested, please submit your resume and a letter (1 page max) explaining why you are interested in this position and what you would hope to gain from this opportunity. Students interested in directed studies, ISS (Honours) projects, co-op placements, USRA NSERC positions, and/or volunteer positions are all encouraged to apply or reach out with additional questions.

Fall 2023 (498/499/497 students) Please note that pedagogical projects do not qualify for lab credit. I am looking for 6-8 students to work collaboratively on a project aimed at the gamification of or design of a game for the Bisc 202 course (Intro genetics). The project will be divided into several sections that will somewhat vary depending on the skills and interests students bring to the project. We will begin with a literature search on the topic of the use of games in education and the production of an annotated bibliography, followed by the development of a set of best practices in game use/gamification. You will then design a game or gamification strategy for intro genetics, describing the format the game should take, which learning outcomes are best suited for this purpose, how mastery of the outcomes can be rewarded in the game, and how achievement in the game can be connected to course credit (or not). There is a variety of models or forms this can take - you may work in teams or on your own. You will present your work in written form, but will also make an oral presentation if you wish. Skills you will develop or improve: Reading the pedagogical literature Teamwork skills Personal management, organization, meeting deadlines etc. Collaborative writing of rationale, report, and/or proposal CREATIVITY/Design Oral presentation skills (if you wish; most of our recent grads say they didn't have enough chances to develop oral communication skills during their undergrad) Note that these courses don't result in an automatic A. But you'll have lots of feedback and practice that should lead to you improving greatly, especially in writing, so that you can produce work you are proud of. Not a straight A student? Who cares? I am looking for a variety of students, who are looking to develop skills and use some creativity. The more diverse our group, the better it will be. If you are enthusiastic, hardworking, reliable and willing to explore some unknown territory, that is good enough for me. Also, please note that this project does not count as a lab course. And I cannot run it as designed without a large enouch group. I need at least 6 participants!

Opportunities for BISC498, BISC499, independent study semester (ISS) are available on an ongoing basis in the Fowler lab. Our current research projects focus on the microbial communities associated with drinking water treatment and distribution. We are interested in the composition of microbial communities in drinking water treatment systems and drinking water distribution systems, and how physical and chemical conditions in these environments can impact the structure of the community and the prevalence of opportunistic pathogens. Projects can range widely from genomics and bioinformatics to cultivation and characterization of microbial isolates or fieldwork. Students should have previous experience in microbiology (via courses like BISC 303 or lab work), and a good academic record (GPA 3.0+). When inquiring about research opportunities, please include a resume and transcript, and some information on why you are interested in a research opportunity.

Mitochondria are usually described as the "powerhouses" of cells, however they also play other pivotal roles in the life and death processes of eukaryotic cells. They display great variation in number, shape and location inside different cell types, appearing as large reticular networks in some cells and as small, punctate, autonomous organelles in others. Mitochondria are also highly dynamic organelles, they can undergo fission, fusion and can be rapidly transported around cells. In my lab we study the mechanisms of these processes in living cells. In addition we study the role of "mitochondrial dynamics" in disease processes, particularly in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's Disease and Stroke. Student projects are available in my lab to study the basic mechanisms of regulating mitochondria dynamics, and to examine how changes in mitochondrial dynamics are involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Students in my lab will employ techniques including molecular biology (amplification and purification of DNA vectors, construction of mammalian expression vectors), cell culture (tissue culture techniques for various cell types, aseptic technique, transfection of astrocytes/neurons with expression vectors) and fluorescence microscopy (live-cell image acquisition, real-time perfusion experiments, image analysis).

Summer (2023) research projects with the Bendell Ecotoxicology Research Group. 1. The movement of microplastics through estuarine ecosystems; determining and comparing the presence of microplastics in endo and epi fauna of two estuaries. 2. Exposure of microplastics to sea ducks via ingestion of diet items. Analysis of collected duck feces for the presence and abundance of microplastics. (In collaboration with ECCC) 3. Uptake and distribution of microplastics by three seaweeds; kelp, fucus and Ulva. For all projects the student will be required to undergo field work, sample collection, analysis, MP separation from collected samples, analysis for MPs, learning how to use the FTIR for MP analysis, data collection, analysis and write up. Estuaries are located on Vancouver Island, the Comox and Cowichan Estuary. Travel expenses will be covered. Suitable for a 4th year directed studies or ISS. If interested, please contact Dr. L. Bendell (bendell@sfu.ca) for further information.