Research Interests
Dr. Boettger examines environmental impacts on invertebrate models in two different systems, edible sea urchins and clams. Her research examines the impact of biological (diet) and physical (light) factors on culture techniques to promote sea urchins culture. This section of her research is looking to improve culture of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. Green sea urchins are of substantial economic value in Japan and sushi houses around the country and have subsequently been overfished and populations have been decimated. The other aspect of her research uses the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria as a model for proliferative human diseases and onset and development of these diseases. The soft-shell clam is afflicted with a neoplasia that displays morphological similarities to human Burkitt’s lymphoma and yet is similar on a molecular level to colon carcinoma and glioblastoma. Research opportunities with Dr. Boettger will incorporate techniques from culture techniques, physiology, molecular biology, histology and light microscopy.
