Ask Biology major John Misamore ’06 (left) about his research collaboration with Associate Biology Professor Ralene Mitschler, and he gives you a look that says, “Where do I begin?”

Misamore spends long hours in the lab working with parasites called gregarines found in the gut of mealworms. He designed an experiment to showcase a new method to create antibodies, which could have a long-term impact on how people are diagnosed with parasites.

“When you design an experiment from scratch, it can get a bit hairy,” Misamore says. “But Dr. Mitschler’s door is always open. She left it up to me to decide what project to do, and she’s been very helpful.”

McDaniel places special emphasis on student research that involves collaborations with faculty members. In many cases, students have presented their findings at professional conferences and have had articles published in peer-reviewed journals.

Mitschler, Misamore’s faculty mentor, says his project is a good candidate for publication. She has worked with about 15 students over the last decade on independent study projects ranging from parasitology to medical biology.

“John is a role model in this department because of his initiative with this independent study,” says Mitschler. “If there’s any perfect way to teach a science, it’s hands-on real experience. Everything else is just talking about it.”

Misamore spends much of his time dissecting mealworms, examining the gregarines through a microscope, and performing experiments.

Typically in the field of medicine, antibodies are used to determine if people are infected with a parasite. Scientists infect, and then commonly extract antibodies from rats or mice, in a process that harms or kills them. Misamore is trying a new, non-invasive method of harvesting antibodies from the yolks of chicken eggs.

“It’s a simple process, and is something that’s been easily done,” Misamore says. “It’s important just to get knowledge out there that there is an easy process one can use.”

Ultimately, his project could help in early detection and simplify the process of diagnosing people. After graduation, Misamore is planning to earn his master’s in Biology.

For a list of student-faculty research projects completed in the 2004-2005 academic year, click here.