Hi everyone! I’m Chloe Merino, a rising senior double majoring in biology and anthropology. I’m minoring in chemistry and pursuing a certificate in the conceptual foundations of medicine as well. I love biochemistry and developmental and evolutionary biology, which I spend a lot of my time studying and teaching as a tutor and UTA. A couple of weeks ago I got back to Pittsburgh from the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology, where I had one of the best hands-on biology experiences ever, researching evolution of salamanders and their niche preference. When I’m not tutoring or working in lab, you can find me playing soccer with my friends, hiking, or playing guitar!
Last year I posted on the Pitt Honors Blog to document my study abroad trip to Sydney Australia where I researched the perceptions of female masculinity at the Women’s World Cup. Shout out to Dr. Yearwood who organized everything and taught me so much on that trip! As a double major, I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue both of my major interests at a deeper level in research. This summer I’ve decided to delve into the biological side of things… specifically developmental biology. I’m honored to be conducting a research project thanks to the Brackenridge Fellowship on the tissue mechanics of the neural plate. My main question is if purely mechanical forces can drive neural cell rearrangement during neurulation.
Errors in neurulation often lead to a class of developmental disorders called neural tube defects. Many of these defects are fatal in humans or severely impact quality of life. We aren’t exactly sure what causes neural tube defects, so studying the mechanics of neurulation can provide us with a better idea of how cell movement can drastically impact development. When an embryo undergoes neurulation, neural cells behave very specifically, lining up along the anterior-posterior axis to form the neural tube. What exactly drives that “lining up” of the cells? Would those cells be able to overcome a force that opposes the direction of the “lining up?” These are all questions I’m trying to answer in my project this summer.
In order to test these research questions, I will use a stretching device to stretch parts of neural tissue in a direction perpendicular to the anterior-posterior axis. I will use microscopy timelapses and image analysis to determine if the neural cells are driven purely by mechanical forces.
All of this work would not be possible without my mentor Dr. Lance Davidson as well as Jing Yang. Their tremendous support has allowed me to feel confident in performing such complex experiments. I’m so grateful to them and everyone else at the MechMorpho bioengineering lab for teaching me so much over the past years.
As for what I’d like to pursue in the future, I’m planning to apply for a PhD program in developmental biology or evolutionary biology after I graduate. Completing my project this summer will give me a taste of what my PhD journey might be like. Research and teaching are passions of mine, and I hope to be able to continue practicing both of them for the rest of my life. This summer I would like to gain experience conducting an independent project, as well as focus on expanding my skills in science communication.