Evan Ho, Jenny Xu, and Shuanger Li all applied for and successfully received funding for their independent projects through UC Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program. Evan will be conducting work on the chemical communication of the non web-building Spiny Leg Hawaiian Tetragnatha spiders using the chemical assay techniques Ashley developed during her collaboration with Prof Gabriele Uhl’s lab in Greifswald, Germany. Jenny will be investigating the use of chemical cues in the substrate choice of the cryptic, substrate color-matched Spiny Leg Hawaiian Tetragntha spider, T. waikamoi. While lastly, Shuanger will be conducting novel, investigative work on the use of venom gland originated chemical cues in mating and mate recognition in the Hawaiian web-building Tetragnatha spiders. The three students and myself will be traveling to Maui, Hawaii to conduct our work this summer! Please wish us all luck!
