MU Receives $126,000 NSF Research Grant

The monies are Millersville’s share of a $270,000 grant that was divided among MU, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. Millersville is the study’s lead organization and has received the largest portion of the grant, which will support the full, paid participation of Millersville students in all phases of the research.

Officially titled “Pheromones, Polyandry, and Female Reproductive Success in Cephalopods,” the study will attempt to create a better understanding of chemical communication in animals, which is a very important area of research today, according to Dr. Jean Boal, lead scientist for the study and an MU associate professor of biology.

The study will seek to answer two questions: (1) do chemicals from eggs attract individuals to the spawning grounds where others of that species are already reproducing, and (2) what molecules are responsible for attracting animals to spawning grounds and triggering competition between males for access to mates? 

“In our experiments at Millersville that will begin in January,” Boal explains, “we will add chemicals taken from eggs to a y-shaped maze in which cuttlefish are placed, to determine if some of the chemical odors are more attractive to them than others. We also will add chemicals from eggs to tanks in which squid are placed to see which chemicals trigger aggressive behavior. Once we identify which chemicals from eggs are important to these behaviors, we will be able to study the chemicals directly and determine which genes are involved in their production.

“This research will lead us to a better understanding of how animals coordinate their reproduction,” says Boal.  “And the information we gain could be useful to researchers who are conducting human fertility studies, serving as another tool for their quest to a gain greater understanding of issues in that field.”