Cathryn Maienza

Research Summary:

Throughout my career as a biologist, I have always been fascinated by interactions between an organism’s external environment and consequent molecular responses to these stimuli. How do organisms adapt to and prepare for living in a nonconstant environment? What molecular machinery is responsible for an organism’s ability to recognize and fine-tune itself to external cues? My current research project, “Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of melatonin as a humoral zeitgeber in Neurospora crassa”, asks questions like these to address longstanding mysteries around melatonin signaling and conservation across Eukaryotes. While melatonin is naturally synthesized in almost all living organisms, melatonin secretion and signaling is closely coupled to external, cycling light conditions and an organism’s endogenous circadian rhythm. Using Neurospora, my works aims to characterize the circadian response to melatonin in cycling and constant conditions and uncover the molecular machinery responsible for melatonin-induced alterations to circadian phase and period length. Another major aspect of my research is to examine potential conservation of melatonin biosynthesis and signaling between higher and lower Eukaryotes. Through structural comparison of fungal GPCR’s to human melatonin receptors, I identified at least one melatonin-related receptor in fungi with similar downstream signaling responses to human receptors (Maienza et al., 2025). The hope I have for my project is to provide the field with substantial evidence that melatonin synthesis and signaling are conserved across Eukaryotes, and to present Neurospora crassa as a valuable model organism for melatonin pharmacology research.

Aleece Siner

Research Summary:

As a graduate student, I’ve been fascinated by how environmental cues mitigate biological processes, especially seasonal changes. My project examines photoperiodism, the way organisms sense and respond to day length, with a focus on fungi, particularly Neurospora crassa. While photoperiodism is well studied in plants, its mechanisms in fungi remain largely unknown. I tested whether fungi share what we call the plant “signal accumulation model,” where signals build during darkness to regulate seasonal traits such as flowering, alongside two alternatives: the balance model and the gating model. To explore these, we developed the Protoperithecia Assay (PPA), which tracks female organ formation under different photoperiods as a proxy for daylength recognition. Our results suggest N. crassa uses a mechanism distinct from plants. The data support the balance model, where day length is gauged through equilibrium between light and dark phases, and also show timeofday sensitivity consistent with the gating model. To uncover genetic components of this system, we screened ~200 N. crassa mutants in signal transduction pathways. Several showed altered photoperiodic responses, pointing to defects in daylength sensing. By revealing how fungi interpret seasonal cues, this work broadens our understanding of photoperiodism beyond plants and highlights adaptive strategies in nonphotosynthetic organisms.

Morgan Bartleson

Current Research

I am an undergraduate biology major with a growing interest in circadian biology and the development of innovative screening strategies for identifying circadian modulating drugs. My research addresses a pressing public health need for treatments regarding chronic sleep disorders, many of which stem from disruptions in the circadian clock, a ~24-hour internal timing system that regulates daily physiological and behavioral processes (including the sleep–wake cycle).

However, circadian phenotypes require continuous monitoring over multiple days; this is where most traditional single-endpoint drug assays are fundamentally incompatible with identifying compounds that alter clock function. To overcome this limitation, I am contributing to the development of a high-throughput, dual-assay platform that leverages drug repurposing by screening 2,600 FDA-approved small molecules in the Eukaryotic model organism Neurospora crassa. This work includes optimization of an FRQ-luciferase reporter assay driven by the frq promoter to record real-time bioluminescent rhythms, enabling sensitive detection of drug-induced changes in circadian period and phase. In parallel, I am implementing a Protoperithecia Production Assay to measure photoperiod-dependent developmental responses, providing a complementary readout of the organism’s ability to assess day length, a proposed additional function of the circadian clock. Together, these high-throughput assays create an efficient and unbiased platform for identifying small molecules that modulate circadian rhythmicity. Beyond supporting mechanistic clock research and repurposing existing drugs, this work contributes to broader efforts to develop strategies that may ultimately improve treatment options for sleep disorders and other circadian-linked health conditions.

Aye Thinzar Htin Aung

Current Research

As a biology major, I have always been deeply interested in understanding how environmental factors influence the molecular mechanisms that regulate our normal biological functions, especially the circadian rhythm that governs daily physiological cycles. This curiosity led me to join a research project focusing on how the kinase stk-16 and phosphatase pzl-1 contribute to photoperiodic regulation in Neurospora crassa. Photoperiodism—the biological response to changes in day length—plays a crucial role in controlling reproductive and developmental processes in many organisms. To explore this, our lab developed a Protoperithecia Assay (PPA) to measure female reproductive structures in N. crassa grown under different photoperiod conditions. Our results revealed that the stk-16 kinase mutant lost its differential response to day length, while the pzl-1 phosphatase mutant maintained the wild-type pattern. These findings suggest that STK-16 kinase is essential for photoperiodic regulation, whereas PZL-1 phosphatase is not directly involved. Since kinase showed a significant effect, my current research aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which STK-16 influences clock regulation, particularly how it may interact with or modify clock proteins to mediate the organism’s response to environmental light cues. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind this regulation could provide broader insight into how environmental cues affect circadian and seasonal rhythms in eukaryotes.

Myo Thinzar Htin Aung

Current Research

Throughout my undergraduate academic journey as a biology student, I have been deeply fascinated by how environmental factors influence molecular and behavioral responses in living organisms. My research interests revolve around understanding how external stimuli, such as diet and chemical exposure, can impact circadian rhythms and physiological behavior.

My current project, “Investigating the Effects of Aspartame on the Phase, Sleep, and Activity Patterns of Drosophila melanogaster Under Different Photoperiod Conditions,” explores how artificial sweeteners influence circadian rhythms and behavior across varying light–dark cycles. By studying Drosophila under distinct photoperiods, I aim to understand how environmental lighting and diet interact to shape the flies’ life history traits and daily activity rhythms. Using the Drosophila Activity Monitoring (DAM) system, I analyze how different concentrations of aspartame affect locomotor activity, sleep, and phase shifts in both male and female flies. This research provides insight into how environmental and dietary factors combine to alter biological timing and may reveal mechanisms by which artificial sweeteners disrupt circadian regulation and physiological balance.

This research not only provides insights into the neurobehavioral effects of dietary additives but also contributes to a broader understanding of how small molecules can affect the circadian regulation and metabolic balance of organisms. I hope my work will inspire future studies linking environmental chemicals, neurological function, and behavior, especially in the context of human health and modern dietary habits.