2016 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
Determination of Mercury Levels in Flora of San Juan County,
NM
Mentor: Dr. Callie A. Vanderbilt, Biology & Chemistry, San Juan
College
OVERVIEW: This project measures mercury on plant tissues and nearby soil in San Juan County
due to power plant pollution
BACKGROUND:
Mercury is a toxic heavy metal. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include tremors; emotional
changes; insomnia; neuromuscular changes; headaches; performance deficits on tests of cognitive
function; kidney damage; respiratory failure and death (from high levels). Inorganic mercury can
be transformed in the environment, especially in lake and river sediments, into a potent neurotoxin,
methylmercury. Once mercury enters an ecosystem it can bioaccumulate (accumulate within the
tissues of an organism over its lifetime) and biomagnify (organisms that feed higher up in the food
chain have higher levels of mercury in their tissues).
Elemental (inorganic) mercury can be found in coal. When the coal is burned in a coal-fired power
plant, the mercury is not removed by scrubbers, and is injected into the atmosphere. San Juan
County NM is home to two coal fired power plants, located near the San Juan River between
Farmington and Shiprock. Atmospheric lifetime is between 0.5 and 2 days, so the mercury is mostly
deposited locally, including on leaf and needle surfaces.
Levels of mercury in regional soils, waters, air and fish populations have been examined. Plants
could serve as biomonitors of the amounts of mercury deposited from the atmosphere in different
terrestrial areas. However, very little is known about the concentrations of mercury in local plant
tissues.
The research conducted in the summer of 2015 determined the mercury levels on needles of
pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), as they are not deciduous, and it
was believed that they could represent a multi-year sample of mercury deposition. However, due
to a limited number of pinyon and juniper trees in the primary depositional areas (downwind of the
power plants), other plants were studied in 2015, including the shrub species rabbitbrush
(Ericamerica spp.) and four-winged salt-bush (Atriplex canescens). We determined that there was
not a significant difference between deciduous and evergreen plant accumulation of mercury.
This year’s project would expand on these findings, to determine (1) whether the two shrub species
could serve as biomonitors of mercury levels in the local, terrestrial ecosystem, (2) correlations
between mercury levels in plants and in samples taken from nearby soils, and (3) correlations
between mercury levels and distances from the power plants.
Location of project:
San Juan College (Farmington, NM), the biology and chemistry labs; collecting trips to local plant
populations.
What would the research student do?
Research student(s) would be included in all aspects of the project. They would:
 Conduct literature searches for methodologies for collecting samples and removing mercury
from plant tissues;
 Prepare reference standards;
 Collect samples;
 Process the samples;
 Learn to operate the ICP-OES to determine levels of mercury;
 Learn basic GIS techniques to prepare a map of sample locations and mercury levels;
 Participate in at least one poster session at FLC and SJC.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
The project would run May 16-June 24. The student(s) will be expected to work Monday to Friday
approximately 8:30-5. Most of the work will occur on the San Juan College campus. Travel will be
required to collect plant tissue from native populations within the Four Corners region. Research
will be conducted during the days, and not on weekends. Locating, reading and discussing peerreviewed papers will be expected.
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
The successful student(s) should have completed Introductory Biology I (or equivalent) and at least
one semester of college-level chemistry.
FLC courses: BIO 113, CHEM 150.
SJC courses: BIOL 121, CHEM 110 or CHEM 111
Analysis of Environmental Samples for Heavy Metal Content
following the Gold King Mine Spill
Mentor: Dr. Callie Cole, Chemistry, Fort Lewis College
OVERVIEW:
This multidisciplinary project combines field and lab research. Students will visit local farms and
ranches to learn how to properly take various environmental samples in collaboration with Dr.
Kevin Lombard of San Juan College. Students will then prepare these samples for analysis and
analyze these samples for their heavy metal content. Additionally, students will analyze historical
samples taken in Fall 2015 to provide some comparison to their Spring/Summer 2016 data.
BACKGROUND:
On August 5th, 2015 an accident at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, CO led to the release of over
three million gallons of contaminated water into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas River.
This incident brought the issue of acid mine drainage to the forefront of both the national and
international media. Although various city and non-profit entities have studied heavy metal
contamination post-incident, few projects have combined analyses of many environmental sample
types including water, soils, and plants. Looking at a variety of environmental samples provides a
more thorough picture of if and how heavy metals are accumulating in the Animas watershed
system. The results of this project will lead to a better understanding of the fate and transport of
toxic metals in the Animas watershed following an unanticipated contamination event.
Our overall goal is to establish, in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Lombard of San Juan College/NMSU
Agricultural Science Center at Farmington and the agricultural community in the Animas
watershed, a sustainable sampling and analysis methodology to better understand the
concentration distribution of heavy metals (including Fe, Al, Cd, Ba, Cu, As, Sb, Co, Cr) in
environmental samples including water, soils, and plants. The concentration of these metals in the
river water surged following the spill, but returned to baseline within 10 days of the incident.
However, heavy metal laden sludge and sediment remains on the banks and in river eddies. It is
possible that disturbance events such as spring runoff will mobilize the metals currently tied up in
the sludge layer, possibly leading to their redistribution within the ecosystem. Thanks to a
productive interdisciplinary collaboration between geosciences, biology, and chemistry at Fort
Lewis College, we currently have soil and plant samples gathered from several local farms from Fall
2015 immediately following the GKM spill. Therefore, during this summer’s research period,
students will have the opportunity to study samples from the season immediately following the
spill (Fall 2015) alongside spring/early summer samples following the spring runoff
(Spring/Summer 2016). This will provide a unique comparison of seasons to elucidate the natural
increase and decrease in heavy metal concentration due to various seasonal transport mechanisms.
A central focus of this summer research project will be on the quantitative analysis of heavy metal
content of these environmental samples using atomic emission spectrometry (Agilent MicrowavePlasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer, or MP-AES). This is a brand new state-of-the art instrument
capable of detecting very low concentrations of heavy metals. Throughout this project, students will
calibrate and maintain this instrument, learn background correction techniques, and design
analysis methods to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for various heavy metals. These laboratory
skills, in combination with field sampling experience, will provide students with an exciting view of
STEM in and out of the lab, while addressing a scientific problem extremely relevant to the Four
Corners area and beyond.
Location of project:
Chemistry Department, Fort Lewis College (Durango, CO)
What would the research student do?
During the 6 week research period in the summer of 2016, students will be involved in a
multidisciplinary research project combining both field and lab work. Students will visit local farms
and ranches to learn how to properly take various environmental samples in collaboration with Dr.
Kevin Lombard of San Juan College. Students will then prepare these samples for analysis through
drying and acid digestion according to published methods. Last but not least, students will learn
how to quantitatively analyze these samples for their heavy metal content using an atomic emission
spectrometer (Agilent Microwave-Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer, or MP-AES). Using
standards of known concentration, students will calibrate the instrument and gain an
understanding of the instrumental response at various heavy metal concentration levels. They will
then use these calibrations to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the samples that they
have gathered. Additionally, students will analyze historical samples taken in Fall 2015 to provide
some comparison to their Spring/Summer 2016 data. Throughout the research project, students
will meet with Dr. Cole and her collaborators to discuss their preliminary results and findings,
increasing their ability to communicate scientific data. Finally, each student will prepare a poster to
present the work that they have accomplished during the research period.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
I plan to conduct research during the 6 week period from May 16th – June 24th, M–F, 8am-4pm.
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
FLC courses: CHEM 150 and CHEM 151.
SJC courses: CHEM 111 and CHEM 112.
Using Plant Derived Natural Products to Improve Honey Bee
Health
Mentor: Dr. William Collins, Chemistry, Fort Lewis College
OVERVIEW:
Students will test use of newly synthesized essential oils to protect honey bees at the FLC College
Research Apiary. This will include (1) feeding studies with honey bees at the apiary; (2) analyzing
the bees’ blood to see if the synthesized molecules are transported in the blood; and (3) determine
where the molecules migrate within a hive when fed to nurse bees.
BACKGROUND:
Worldwide honey bee (Apis milifera) populations are in a state of decline. While there are many
different factors, the primary contributor to honey bee population losses is the aptly named,
ectoparasitic mite: Varroa destructor (Figure 1). These mites
both weaken bees’ immune systems by feeding on
hemolymph fluid (akin to blood), and are attributed as the
primary vectors by which viruses are passed between
beehives. Current anti-mite molecules (acaracides) suffer
from ineffective delivery and may actually be assisting
natural selection processes for drug-resistant Varroa mites.
To directly address this problem, a new class of highly
selective, anti-varroa mite molecules will be developed and Figure 1. Varroa mite on drone thorax
tested for efficacy with honey bee populations at the Fort
Lewis College research apiary.
As a starting point for these investigations, it has been recently shown by several research groups
that naturally occurring, non-toxic, essential oils such as thymol and carvacrol (constituents of oil of
thyme and oil of origanum) show promise against the Varroa mite (Figure 2). Nevertheless, efficient
and selective delivery of these molecules within a standard beehive
OH
OH
remains a challenge. Because the method of delivery of these oils is to
volatilize and effectively fumigate the hive, their efficacy is severely
Thymol
Carvacrol
impacted by fluctuating temperatures within the hive (e.g., low
temperatures reduce the volatility of the oil which in turn reduces the
Figure 2. Essential oils
effective dose of acaracide in the hive; high temperatures increase the
volatility of the oil which leads to toxic levels of the oil to the honey bee colony). Thus, despite the
enthusiasm from the beekeeping community on the discovery of these non-toxic, acarcidal
molecules, the delivery of these essential oils is often imprecise and has been shown to lead to longterm problems with colony health.
This project will address this
Scheme 1. Proposed transport mechanism for acaracide into brood cells
abovementioned challenge by
chemically modifying the essential oils
with a sugar molecule. This
Sugar Syrup Solution
modification is hypothesized to do
Bees travel to brood nest
several things: 1) The molecule will
OH
become water-soluble and non-volatile.
OH
Anti-Mite
O
HO
Drug
OH
O
This will allow the compound to be
HO
HO
Anti-Mite
O
OH
HO
Drug
OH
delivered in a specific quantity in a
Bees digest the drug
(Water soluble acaracide)
and convert it into its
sugar-syrup solution of feed to the bees
active form
instead of fumigation. 2) The molecule
will act as pro-drug, in which the sugar
is initially enzymatically cleaved from
the essential oil in the bee gut (Scheme
Nurse bees regurgitate the active
form of the acaracide along with
1). The bee can then distribute the
Bees feed on the water-soluble
glucose into brood cells to repel
acaracide
(essential
oil)
varroa mites
active anti-mite molecule to other bees
in the colony or deliver the anti-mite
molecule to bee larvae. 3) After ingestion, the essential oil molecule is metabolically transported
from the gut to the bee’s hemolymph. Having appreciable concentrations of these essential oils in
the hemolymph of a bee is hypothesized to completely deter, or at least offer some level of
protection, from the feeding behavior of the Varroa mite.
Location of project:
This project will take place in two locations: 1) the Chemistry Department at Fort Lewis College,
and 2) the Fort Lewis College Research Apiary. Both locations are in Durango, CO.
What would the research student do?
Students would work side-by-side with Dr. Collins and other undergraduate research students
performing feeding studies with live bees from our research apiaries. We will be analyzing the
blood (hemolymph) of these bees after ingesting the anti-mite molecules and we will be analyzing
where these molecules get deposited in a hive. We will do this through mass spectrometry (SPMEGC-MS), which is an analytical technique that looks at the masses of various molecules.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
There is some flexibility to this schedule, but ideally the six-week research period (all consecutive)
would begin on the 23rd of May or later. Students will be expected to be either in the lab or at the
research apiary (depending upon the day) from 9am to 5pm.
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
FLC courses: CHEM 150.
SJC courses: CHEM 111.
Analysis of Honey, Plant Extracts, and Proteins by Gas
Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry and Capillary
Electrophoresis
Mentor: Dr. Eric Miller, Chemistry, San Juan College
OVERVIEW: This project involves the development of instrumentation and methods used to
separate and identify mixtures of chemicals. We will be using these techniques to study the
chemical composition of local honey, local plant extracts, as well as proteins involved in learning.
BACKGROUND:
Honey produced locally in San Juan County has shown success in treating MRSA (staph) infections
and is currently being studied in clinical trials by a group of physicians in Farmington, New Mexico.
As part of this work, Dr. Don Hyder, Professor of Biology and Horticulture at San Juan College, our
students, and myself have been working on analyzing this honey to determine the active chemical
composition. Last year we identified several compounds in the honey. Two chemicals in
significant concentrations were found with known antifungal and antibacterial properties. This
summer we will be looking to quantify compounds in this honey by Gas Chromatography – Mass
Spectrometry (GC-MS), an instrument with the capability to separate mixtures of chemicals and
analyze them individually. We are using a somewhat new sampling technique called Solid Phase
Micro Extraction (SPME) used to introduce the compounds of interest into the GC-MS.
A secondary project will involve the completion of a home built Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
system for the analysis of plant extracts and protein analysis. CE is another type of instrument that
separates mixtures of chemicals for individual analysis but by different means as a GC-MS. The
interest in analyzing certain local plant extracts is related to the honey project in an effort to source
the plants responsible for the remarkable properties of the honey. We also wish to investigate
using CE to detect certain proteins of interest related to neural learning models. This is in support
of Dr. Veronica Evans, Professor of Biology at San Juan College, who is studying the molecular
events occurring during formation of long term memories utilizing tobacco hornworms. The CE
system uses a fiber optic diode array spectrophotometer, a type of instrument used to analyze light,
for chemical detection. We will be installing a fiber optic light source component for the CE
instrument and then testing the system for these applications.
Location of project:
San Juan College Chemistry Laboratory, Farmington, New Mexico.
What would the research student do?
Students will work as a team on both projects. They will learn the theories of operation of GC-MS
and CE instrumentation. They will assist in the development of methods of analysis including
extracting the samples, running the analyses, and interpreting the results. Students will prepare
calibration standards using basic chemistry techniques. The CE system will require some hardware
installation and testing which will also involve learning the software used to run the components.
Students will present their work as a poster presentation at local meetings and possibly other state
and national meetings.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
Students will work 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday, for a total of 30 days starting May 16
and ending July 6, 2016.
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
Students will need to have completed General Chemistry I and II by the beginning of the summer
2016.
FLC courses: CHEM 150 & CHEM 151
SJC courses: CHEM 111 & CHEM 112
Liquid Sodium Research for Generation IV Nuclear Reactors
Mentor: Dr. Billy Nollet, Engineering, Fort Lewis College
OVERVIEW:
Students will design an instrument capable of measuring oxygen concentration and nuclear coolant
that could be used for a modern nuclear reactor.
BACKGROUND:
Technological development of improved energy production methods is increasingly important in
today’s world. The leading candidate for the next generation nuclear power reactor uses liquid
sodium as the primary coolant (rather than water, which all current American reactors use). The
next generation reactors will be able to burn spent nuclear fuel which currently is stored on site at
nuclear power stations. These new reactors will be able to close the fuel cycle, meaning that no long
term radioactive byproducts will be produced. In addition, as with all nuclear technology, no
greenhouse gasses are produced as a byproduct of power generation.
This research is focused in the field of Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, meaning cooling systems for
nuclear reactors. The research will help close the engineering gaps currently in this latest
generation of power development. Specifically, students will be designing a crucial instrument for
liquid sodium coolant called a plugging meter. This instrument will be implemented in FLC’s Liquid
Sodium Loop.
Location of project:
Nuclear Thermal Hydraulic Lab, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO.
What would the research student do?
Students will be learning about sodium technology, and its application to modern nuclear reactors.
Students will use this knowledge to design an instrument capable of measuring oxygen
concentration nuclear coolant. This instrument will require students to bend steel tubing, work
with Swage-lok fittings, prepare surfaces for welding on a lathe and possible mill, build basic
control circuits, and work with LabVIEW to prepare a control system.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
A conventional 40 hour work week is expected, hours roughly 8am – 4pm daily, May 16 – June 24
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
FLC courses: MATH 221; general understanding of electrical circuits. Recommended: ENGR 270.
SJC courses: MATH 188; general understanding of electrical circuits. Recommended: ENGR 236.
Network Analysis
Mentor: Dr. Laura Scull, Mathematics, Fort Lewis College
OVERVIEW:
Students will use computer software to study, explore and analyze examples of networks of interest
(such as marketing networks, social networks, or computer networks).
BACKGROUND:
A network is a mathematical object that describes the way in which things are connected to each
other. This concept can be applied across many disciplines. For example, network theory is used to
study infrastructure such as how roads connect various cities, or how power lines are connected to
form the power grid. It is used to model how people are related to each other via social ties such as
kinship or friendship, and to predict how diseases or information spread through populations. It is
used in biology to study how proteins interact in biochemical processes, and how predator and
prey species interact in ecology models. It is used in computer science to study how web pages are
linked to each other to create the world wide web. The study of networks brings together
mathematical fields such as graph theory, game theory and optimization, and combines them with
ideas from computer science, physics, chemistry, sociology and economics
This project will begin by studying the underlying mathematical theory of networks. We will learn
how networks are represented mathematically. We will study how to measure the connectedness of
the network, and to analyze the relative importance of objects in the network with various
measures of centrality. We will also look at structural aspects of networks, such as recognizing
well-connected subsets or cliques, and identifying structural holes and how transmission of goods,
ideas, or diseases might proceed throughout a network.
We will be studying examples drawn from various fields, such as sociology, economics, and
computer science, and learning to analyze them using NodeXL. This is a software package designed
for network analysis that runs as an add-on to Microsoft Excel. We will learn the basics of using this
software to analyze and visualize network data, compute network metrics and draw conclusions
After understanding the basic tools, the group will do an in-depth study of one or more networks.
The networks will be selected with input from student participants, and so are not specified at this
time; possible options are listed below to give an idea, but the final networks studied may not be
one of the listed examples. Together, the group will select a network or networks to study, decide
what aspects of the network we wish to find out about, and select appropriate tools for analyzing it.
Then we will gather data on the network, format it and analyze it using NodeXL, and interpret the
results in real-world terms.
Possible examples of networks to analyze:
 Organizational Networks: Pre-requisite structure of courses at FLC
 Computer Networks: Linkages of FLC website pages
 Social Networks: Affiliations among students at FLC

Marketing Networks: Analyze Amazon reviews for books on networks (or something else of
interest), studying the linkages for “those who bought x also bought y”
Location of project:
Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO.
What would the research student do?
Students are expected to be on campus working on this project during working hours in the week.
Part of the day will be spent as a group discussing the theoretical material and learning how to use
NodeXL. Students will also be expected to read and work through examples on their own and
with their peers, and to use the software to study and create examples and explore the various
ways of analyzing networks without continuous direct supervision. Once the specific network or
networks of interest have been selected, students will work on their analysis with support from the
professor, but are expected to take an active role in deciding the direction of the project: how to
gather data, what analysis to do and what conclusions can be drawn.
What would the student’s schedule be while working on this research?
We will be on campus working hours: roughly between 8 and 4, Monday to Friday, for 6 weeks
from May 16th – June 24th.
What courses should a student have completed before participating in this project?
No specific mathematical knowledge is required for this project. Students should have an interest
in mathematical modeling, a desire to learn about mathematical structures and theories, and be
interested in learning to work on computer with Excel and NodeXL to analyze data.