Faculty and Student Teams Program

Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Environmental Sciences Division

Examining the Sub-lethal Effects of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Invertebrates

Requesting applications from science or engineering faculty members at institutions serving students underrepresented in science, engineering, mathematics and technology to work on the following projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Project Description

The focus of this project is to examine factors that affect mercury bioavailability and toxicity at the base of the aquatic food chain.  Mercury is one of the most widely studied contaminants because of its toxicity and pervasiveness in the environment, but our understanding of the factors that affect mercury’s bioavailability and toxicity is still incomplete.  The consumption of fish containing high concentrations of Hg is the largest dietary source of this toxin to humans. While much is known about mercury accumulation dynamics and toxicity in upper trophic levels of aquatic ecosystems, the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of mercury on invertebrates, which form a key link in the aquatic food chain, are not well understood.  Faculty-student teams will participate in chronic, multigenerational bioaccumulation and toxicity tests with the model crustacean, Daphnia pulex to assess the effects of mercury on a suite of demographically important metrics.  Factors that affect mercury’s bioavailability will also be investigated. 

Contact:  Teresa Mathews mathewstj@ornl.gov

Applicants’ Responsibilities and Relationship to Project
Applicants will receive support under the Department of Energy Faculty Student Team Research Program (FaST) to work collaboratively with the project research team at the Laboratory for up to 10 weeks during the summer of 2010. The exact appointment period in the time frame of June to August will be scheduled by mutual agreement between the host divisions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the successful applicant.  Faculty will be expected to identify two to three students from their campuses to participate in the FaST program. The faculty member will provide some mentorship to students during the summer research activities. The faculty and students must participate as a group and serve their appointments concurrently.  It is expected that the faculty member and the students become an integral part of the research team working on this project and that opportunities for continued collaboration may be identified.

Qualifications of Ideal Candidate

Candidates should have experience with freshwater ecology and trace metal chemistry.  The candidate should have a basic background in a biological domain including, but not limited to toxicology, physiology, and population dynamics.  Environmental modeling experience is a plus.

Support and Financial Commitments

The successful candidate will receive a stipend based on the academic salary, travel expenses to and from the Laboratory, and a housing allowance. Students recommended by the faculty member for participation in the program will receive a stipend of $425/week for each week at the Laboratory, plus a housing allowance, and reimbursement for transportation expenses to and from the ORNL.  Funds are provided for this program from the US Department of Energy, Office of Science in partnership with the National Science Foundation, from ORNL, and from other sources.

See Financial Information.