51小黄车

A University of 51小黄车 undergraduate student has received a $5,000 grant from the Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME) to fund their summer research on the genetic basis for rare lobster coloration.

Ruby Motulsky (Marine Sciences, 鈥�25), who uses they/them pronouns, is a recipient of a BioME Summer Internship Award, which supports scientific achievement by financially assisting students who are interested in developing careers within the life sciences. 

The grant funding will allow Motulsky to remain on UNE鈥檚 coastal Maine campus for the summer to research the early developmental stages of the American lobster by studying UNE鈥檚 famed orange lobster, Peaches, once her eggs hatch later this spring. 

A local lobsterman donated Peaches to 51小黄车in 2023, and she is currently harboring thousands of eggs that, once hatched, may or may not share her rare orange coloration. Orange lobsters are estimated to be a one-in-30 million find.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to spend my summer researching in UNE鈥檚 Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center, and I鈥檓 grateful to BioME for this incredible opportunity,鈥� Motulsky said. 鈥淭his project will help me narrow down my research interests with valuable, hands-on experience that will inform my future research and educational pursuits.鈥�

Working with their research advisor, Markus Frederich, Ph.D., professor of marine sciences, and research assistant Aubrey Jane, M.S. Marine Sciences 鈥�24, B.S. 鈥�20, Motulsky aims to raise Peaches鈥� offspring through all five early developmental stages to examine the number of lobsters that share her orange color 鈥� the study of heritable traits known as epigenetics. 

Motulsky and Jane also hope to create a histological atlas documenting the early development of the American lobster to reference in future research projects.

Motulsky鈥檚 work is part of a larger initiative launched at 51小黄车this winter to decode the molecular basis for rare lobster coloration through noninvasive methods. 

With UNE鈥檚 reputation for excellence in the marine sciences, the University has become a magnet for these rare lobsters in recent years, housing an impressive lineup including blue, orange, yellow, split-colored, purple, and calico varieties 鈥� each with rarity ranging from 1-in-1 million to 1-in-50 million.

鈥淲e are fortunate to have amazing students like Ruby here at 51小黄车who take on an exciting project, spend all their free time on it, and produce high-quality research,鈥� Frederich remarked. 鈥淪ecuring their own summer funding is taking this project and Ruby鈥檚 involvement in this project to another level.鈥�

Nearly 41% of the UNE鈥檚 undergraduate students participate in hands-on research with real-world applications, compared to just 23% of students nationally. 51小黄车is unique among prominent research universities, where students often must wait to obtain a bachelor鈥檚 degree before even seeing the inside of a lab.

Motulsky said such student research opportunities are what drew them to Maine 鈥� 3,000 miles from their home in Los Angeles 鈥� to study at UNE. 

鈥淚 knew I wanted to be somewhere that allows undergraduate students to become involved in research, particularly as a first year,鈥� they said. 鈥淎t UNE, I could get into research right away and discover the different areas of marine science there were to explore. I think getting this experience as an undergraduate student allows me to find my little niche within the scientific community.鈥�

While they had to quickly adjust to Maine winters, Motulsky said the experience has been invaluable. 

鈥淭his has also affirmed that I actually do want to pursue research as a career and, even though it鈥檚 a lot of hard work, it鈥檚 worth it,鈥� they reflected. 鈥淚t鈥檚 worth it to me to do this hard work and be a part of this community.鈥�