This page lists the projects that have been and continue to be supported by Truman's Mathematical Biology program. The projects are divided into three categories: seeking students, ongoing projects, and past projects.

Projects that are seeking students are currently in search of talented undergraduates to contribute to the project's mission. Projects that are marked with "RLC" have a unified application process; students interested in those should follow instructions for submitting an application to participate in those projects. It is also recommended that students interested in participating in RLC projects should meet with both faculty mentors of the project to talk about their qualifications and the mentors' project expectations. To become involved in other projects, a student should inquire with the faculty mentor(s) individually.

Projects that are ongoing are not currently seeking students and are actively conducting research. Students interested in those projects should inquire with members of the project team to learn more about the project and opportunities to contribute to the team's mission.

Projects that are past projects that are concluding their work or whose work has ended. No opportunities for participating in the project are anticipated.

RLC Program

Thanks for support from the National Science Foundation and Truman State University, the Mathematical Biology program offers a special program of long-term interdisciplinary research programs coupled with coursework and travel. This program, the Research-focused Learning Communities in Mathematical Biology (RLC) program, selects student through a competitive application process. The RLC program will be next start taking applications for the 2009 program in October 2008, (updated 5/16/08).

• To find more information about the RLC program's goals and participant expectations, go [here].
• To find out the type of information requested on the application, see [here].
• To apply to participate in the program, go [here].

Projects Seeking Students

At this time, there are no projects that are actively seeking students.

If you have a project that you would like listed here, please contact Prof. Jason Miller.

Ongoing Projects

Determining gravitropic sensitivity: a mathematical approach (RLC)

A botanist and a computationally inclined mathematician are investigating how best to use digital images to measure the response of a growing root to the effects of gravity.

Graph theoretic modeling of the population dynamics of Missouri bladderpod (Lesquerella filiformis) (RLC)

An ecologist and a mathematician aim to create models for population for the engandered Missouri bladder pod that take a graph theoretic approach.

Unveiling the Past: Analysis of Evolutionary and Demographic History (RLC)

An computational biologist and a mathematician will study phylogeography.

Measuring and Modeling the Role of Cell Adhesion on Cell Shape During Early Embryogenesis in C. Elegans (RLC)

A cell biologist and a mathematician will work to model the geometry of cell division, with an emphasis on studying the role that cell adhesion plays as cells divide.

Encounter filters that determine host preference in ticks (RLC)

Two biologists and a statistician are investigating how encounter mechanisms operate as filters in establishing host preference of ticks in the small mammal community of northeast Missouri.

Gene Expression and Visualization Application (GENEVA) (RLC)

This team of computer scientists, molecular geneticists, and cell biologists are collaborating in an effort to annotate genes in the corn (maize) shoot apical meristem.

Statistics and Phylogenetic Community Ecology

An ecologist and a statistican aim to improve the statistical tools available in phylogenetic community ecology. They will start their work by focusing on katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae).

Past Projects

Image Analytic and Mathematical Modeling of the Structure and Dynamics of Biological Tissues

The proposed project has three goals. The first is to develop computational tools for image analysis that will partially automate the acquisition of quantitative data from prepared slide images. The second is to develop mathematical models of the two biological systems based on the acquired data which explain the observed behaviors and predict the effects of external treatments on the systems. The third goal is to modify the treatments of the biological systems based on feedback from the models, thus increasing our understanding of the underlying biological processes.

The effects of prescribed burning in grasslands on the population structure of predatory beetles: a spatial modeling approach (RLC)

The spatial structure of populations and communities has become increasingly important to ecologists because it provides insights into ecological patterns and processes. For example, spatial structure influences parasitism rates in forests, the occurrence of generalist and specialist insect herbivores in agricultural landscapes, and the impact of grazing in desert grasslands. From a practical standpoint, understanding the spatial structure of a population can indicate the proper sampling scheme and statistical protocol.

Plastron respiration in ticks (RLC)

Equipped with the physiological equivalent of SCUBA gear, tick's are able to survive being submerged in water for long periods of times. This group aims at creating mathematical models that relate the geometric structure of this apparatus to tick survival time.

Aerodynamic features of saccate pollen: Evolutionary implications for wind-pollinated plants (RLC)

How do the relative size, density, shape, and suface texture of a pollen grain affect how fast it falls through the air? Using electron microscopy, fluid dynamics, and computer simulation, this group hopes to find some answers.

Quantitative Identification of Missouri Bat via Acoustic Surveys(RLC)

Identifying bats to species often requires close inspection of the bat, but this team is working on improving a method for identifying bat species in the field that uses acoustic signatures of the bat's search phase echolocation calls.

Development of habitat suitability models to test how spatial scale influences predictions of occurrence patterns of the federally threatened, rare plant species, Missouri bladder-pod Lesquerella filiformis (RLC)

Statistics, geographic information systems, and a rich data set (made richer by annual field work) help this group to shed light on issues surrounding the conservation of the Missouri bladder-pod.