Acknowledgements

Lab Alumni

Samuel Ridgeway, BSc Biology, Class of 2016
Sam studied the microbiome of Falcons in the UAE. His Capstone project classified the normal bacterial flora of Saker, Gyr Falcons, and their hybrids, and to assess species-specific patterns in the composition of the microbiome using a 16s metagenomic approach. The project also aimed to develop molecular markers for falcon species and hybrid status identification. Alongside his biological work, Sam made a short documentary film about falcons and falconry.

Rasha H Shraim, BSc Biology, Class of 2016
Rasha majored in Biology and Philosophy major, and her Biology Capstone research focused on the trophic ecology of fish in the Arabian Gulf. Her project focused on the trophic adaptability of coral reef fish to the extreme environment — temperature, salinity, and biomass diversity — of the Arabian Gulf. The project involved sampling fish in the reefs, metagenomic sequencing their gut content DNA, and using bioinformatic analysis to accurately identify their diet and gut communities. Rasha was co-mentored by marine biology professor John Burt.

Nahla Ibrahim, BSc Biology, Class of 2016
Nahla studied Biology and Interactive Media and Technology, with interests in the crossover between biomedicine and technology. For her Capstone project in biology, she worked on genes involved in predisposition and resistance to Malaria infection in West African children. Her project involved sequencing and profiling of gene expression of a set of candidate genes, and the use of statistical genetic methods to quantify the role of both common and rare genetic variation in host response to infection.

Remi Ketchum, BSc Chemistry, Class of 2015
Remi interests include marine life ecology and conservation genetics, and in particular, the effects that extreme environments and climate change are having on marine fish populations. Her Capstone research focused on ecologically and commercially important fish in the Arabian Gulf and involved collecting fish samples, sequencing of mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites genotyping, and population genetic analysis of the data. Remi developed a set of species-specific markers for Arabian Gulf's groupers and discovered that "hammour" managed and sold as one grouper species is, in fact, three species.

Hala Tamim Eljarkass, Biology, University of Toronto (summer 2016)