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Amy M. Bickham Research Associate
Texas Tech University Department of Biological Sciences |
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Amy is an undergraduate biology student at Texas Tech University working in Dr. Robert Baker’s lab. Her research at Chornobyl focuses on the genetic effects of living in polluted environments. This is a long-term study monitoring haplotype frequencies and genetic diversity using sequence data from part of the mtDNA control region, the D-loop. Model system for this study is the bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus. This animal has the highest internal levels of radiation compared with other rodents living in this area. Reseacrhers have sampled bank voles from two contaminated sites around Chornobyl and also three reference sites. Results have consistently shown that animals living in contaminated sites have higher genetic diversity than those from reference sites. |
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