Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-004-0853-0388
Date Available
8-12-2024
Year of Publication
2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/School/Program
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Luke Moe
Second Advisor
Dr. David Weisrock
Abstract
A PhD aims to make a unique contribution to the current body of knowledge while developing as an independent researcher and critical thinker. This dissertation covers a wide range of topics, from microbiome analysis to biology education. Although there is no broad overarching research theme, all the chapters are connected by the process of scientific inquiry and by their contribution to the completion of a PhD.
Chapter One serves as a comprehensive literature review, delving into the standard methods of measuring the health of at-risk species. It describes direct measures of health (e.g., birth and death rates) crucial for predicting species perseverance, as well as indirect measures like genetic health (e.g., FST and FIS) and microbiome analysis. The chapter underscores the benefits and drawbacks of each method and concludes that a multidisciplinary approach is paramount. This is due to the emergence of patterns from complementary analyses that cannot be discerned in a single analysis, ultimately providing a more comprehensive understanding of a species' health.
Chapter Two utilizes 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to estimate gut microbiome overlap in native Kentucky freshwater mussels and the invasive Asian clam across different locations within the Licking River system. In a departure from existing literature, the results reveal that location exerts greater influence than evolutionary history on bacterial membership within the mussel gut microbiome, although significant differences were found between some species. At high taxonomic levels, bacterial membership was similar across species, although abundance varied across locations. Overall, the results suggest mussels maintain a core microbiome function rather than retain core OTUs. Moreover, the overlap in the microbiome between the Asian clam and some mussel species suggests they provide the same ecosystem service regarding water filtration.
Chapter three describes the development and results of a bait-capture kit designed for reduced representation genome sequencing across six mussels within the family Unionidae. The results, disappointingly but informatively, showed high FIS across almost all individuals within a species for each species. FIS remained high even when reads were mapped against a de novo assembled reference. These results and a high proportion of multi-locus bait binding suggest a low success rate of the current baits. Further design of baits and in silico testing via the PHYLUCE pipeline may be the next step.
The Fourth and final chapter uses the Situated Expectancy Value Theory framework to examine motivation in undergraduate biology students. It uses an experimental design to investigate the effects of a utility value intervention on undergraduate biology student motivation and course outcomes. We found no difference in course outcomes between the treatment and control groups and a small negative change in utility value and intrinsic value over the semester for students in the treatment group. However, the utility value was the highest-rated value of all constructs across the semester. Our results suggest the ineffectiveness of the activity in motivating students, possibly due to students' failure to make personal utility value connections, which may be resolved by implementing a rubric. Alternately, utility value interventions could have diminishing returns in courses that practice active learning, which naturally promotes utility through activities such as case studies and group discussions.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.300
Funding Information
The study in chapter 2 was supported by the Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute and the United States Geographical Survey under Grant FY2021 104B RFP
The study in chapter 3 was supported by a Gertrude Ribble Pilot Grant
The study in chapter 4 was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #2025046.
Recommended Citation
Foley, Mary, "INVESTIGATIONS ACROSS BIOLOGY AND EDUCATION: EXPLORING THE GUT MICROBIOME OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS AND UNDERSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE BIOLOGY STUDENT MOTIVATION" (2024). Theses and Dissertations--Biology. 104.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_etds/104
Copyright permission
Dissertation_Supplementary_Files_Foley_Final.zip (1577 kB)
Supplementary Files for Dissertation
