Each summer, the Urban Ecosystems Research Stream offers students a range of opportunities to grow as researchers and contribute to ongoing projects in the stream. From data mining—where Dr. Ruth introduces students to coding in R for analyzing environmental datasets—to volunteering in the lab and paid fellowships, our program helps students build skills, contribute to ongoing projects, and get a head start on their research for the coming semester.
This summer, students worked on various projects within the lab, including ongoing efforts to trace sources of urban water contamination. Our FIB-MST (Fecal Indicator Bacteria – Molecular Source Tracking) researchers use DNA tracers to detect sewage leaks—an eco-friendlier alternative to traditional dye tracing. This technique identifies the origins of bacterial contamination in water using host-specific genetic markers, helping us better understand how human activity affects local water systems and communicate it to the public.
Students begin the summer by learning key skills like pipetting, setting up positive and negative controls, and running qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction), a technique used to amplify and measure DNA sequences. These early weeks focus on building precision, consistency, and confidence in the lab. As students’ progress, they apply these techniques to environmental DNA (eDNA) samples, learning how to detect and quantify genetic markers that indicate the presence of contaminants or biological tracers in water.
In addition to technical skills, students also develop skills in experimental design, data interpretation, and troubleshooting, encountering real-world challenges such as unexpected results.
One of our summer fellows, Bhavya Sinha, shared her experience and reflections on working with the DNA tracer project.
“This summer gave me a good grasp of important concepts, and now I feel confident teaching my peers some of the skills I spent the summer learning,” Bhavya reflected. “I’m really grateful that I got real research experience so early in college and got to work with mentors and research educators from across the stream.”
Bhavya explained that the process wasn’t always straightforward, but that it allowed the team to learn much more and take redirection on the project.
“After many unsuccessful runs and attempts to stop the negatives from amplifying, we decided to put qPCR on hold so as not to waste materials,” she shared. “We began doing extensive research on other directions to take this project and even tried testing a fluorometer.”
Bhavya credits her mentor, as well as her teammate, Emory, for guiding her and making the process enjoyable.
“I had the opportunity to communicate with my team, learn new skills, and overcome problems with innovative solutions,” she said. “I really enjoyed this preview into my fall research, especially learning biology skills like qPCR.”
For Bhavya and many of our students, the Urban Ecosystems summer experience offers an invaluable introduction to research—combining technical training with mentorship, teamwork, and real-world impact. Whether coding data models, analyzing environmental samples, or testing innovative tracing techniques, our students leave the summer with new skills, confidence, and a deeper appreciation for the role of science in shaping sustainable cities.