Contessa Ricci
Ph.D. Student
Research Interests
I am interested in the communication that occurs between corals and Symbiodinium, their single-celled algal symbiont. Particularly, I focus on the cell-surface proteins of the algae because the initiation of symbiosis begins with a cell to cell contact, and these motifs both make the initial contact as well as remain in constant contact throughout the symbiosis. I explore these proteins as potential mediators in the relationship. To do this, I collaborate with a proteomics lab here at the University of Texas at Arlington to learn and conduct mass spectrometric techniques for protein analysis.
As side projects I have also assisted other researchers with their work by providing the immunity perspective our lab specializes in. By performing assays that measure different activities in the invertebrate immune response, we infer the coral's overall health and provide insight toward how the coral has fared throughout the study.
Background
I am originally from Hawai`i, growing up on the island of Kaua`i. When I graduated high school, I moved to Northern California to begin the next chapter of my life at Humboldt State University and graduated with a B.S. in both zoology and marine biology. I went straight from a B.S. to my current Ph.D. program.
While it makes a certain amount of sense that I pursued coral research, I actually left for college with the intention of studying herpetology and leading a career in venom research. It wasn't until I took a marine invertebrate zoology course at Humboldt State that things came full circle and I realized that my true passion lay in conjunction with where I grew up. This course educated me on the current crisis that coral reefs face world-wide and hit particularly close to home because, living in Hawai`i, I have witnessed first-hand the degradation of many natural spaces by human influences.
Seizing any research opportunity I could, I eventually gained the freedom to conduct my own research as an undergraduate on a sister-system to coral reefs - the symbiosis between the clonal sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima and Symbiodinium sp. I translate these projects to my current work exploring the phenotypic qualities of the symbiont's response to stress and how these changes affect the overall relationship.
Teaching
Biology Introductory Labs (BIOL 1441; BIOL 1442) - Students learn fundamental concepts and techniques essential to a career in the sciences
Biology Introductory Labs for Non-Majors (BIOL 1334) - Non-STEM students learn basic concepts and principles to gain a well-rounded perspective on the world and current ecological, environmental, and general scientific issues
Currently
Summer 2015 - I am participating in the IEngage mentorship program, a competitively awarded mentorship allowing graduate students to work closely with an undergraduate on a project as they gain real-world research experience. As graduate students, we are responsible for guiding the undergraduate and ensuring they acquire high-quality skills that they can apply to future careers in STEM fields. My undergraduate, Bren Ledbetter, and I are conducting a thermal stress experiment and she will be learning different analytical techniques to obtain reliable results and develop meaningful conclusions.
I am interested in the communication that occurs between corals and Symbiodinium, their single-celled algal symbiont. Particularly, I focus on the cell-surface proteins of the algae because the initiation of symbiosis begins with a cell to cell contact, and these motifs both make the initial contact as well as remain in constant contact throughout the symbiosis. I explore these proteins as potential mediators in the relationship. To do this, I collaborate with a proteomics lab here at the University of Texas at Arlington to learn and conduct mass spectrometric techniques for protein analysis.
As side projects I have also assisted other researchers with their work by providing the immunity perspective our lab specializes in. By performing assays that measure different activities in the invertebrate immune response, we infer the coral's overall health and provide insight toward how the coral has fared throughout the study.
Background
I am originally from Hawai`i, growing up on the island of Kaua`i. When I graduated high school, I moved to Northern California to begin the next chapter of my life at Humboldt State University and graduated with a B.S. in both zoology and marine biology. I went straight from a B.S. to my current Ph.D. program.
While it makes a certain amount of sense that I pursued coral research, I actually left for college with the intention of studying herpetology and leading a career in venom research. It wasn't until I took a marine invertebrate zoology course at Humboldt State that things came full circle and I realized that my true passion lay in conjunction with where I grew up. This course educated me on the current crisis that coral reefs face world-wide and hit particularly close to home because, living in Hawai`i, I have witnessed first-hand the degradation of many natural spaces by human influences.
Seizing any research opportunity I could, I eventually gained the freedom to conduct my own research as an undergraduate on a sister-system to coral reefs - the symbiosis between the clonal sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima and Symbiodinium sp. I translate these projects to my current work exploring the phenotypic qualities of the symbiont's response to stress and how these changes affect the overall relationship.
Teaching
Biology Introductory Labs (BIOL 1441; BIOL 1442) - Students learn fundamental concepts and techniques essential to a career in the sciences
Biology Introductory Labs for Non-Majors (BIOL 1334) - Non-STEM students learn basic concepts and principles to gain a well-rounded perspective on the world and current ecological, environmental, and general scientific issues
Currently
Summer 2015 - I am participating in the IEngage mentorship program, a competitively awarded mentorship allowing graduate students to work closely with an undergraduate on a project as they gain real-world research experience. As graduate students, we are responsible for guiding the undergraduate and ensuring they acquire high-quality skills that they can apply to future careers in STEM fields. My undergraduate, Bren Ledbetter, and I are conducting a thermal stress experiment and she will be learning different analytical techniques to obtain reliable results and develop meaningful conclusions.