McDaniel professor uses national grant to lead a team conducting jellyfish research

An all-female team of McDaniel students, led by Allison Kerwin, assistant professor of biology at the college, on Friday concluded the first of three summers conducting 10 weeks of research to test the effects of insecticides on jellyfish.

Kerwin, 41, of Westminster, is using a $437,393 grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct the research.

Use of insecticides has grown in recent years, Kerwin said, as mosquito populations boom and occupy a widening range of habitats. Pesticides like the ones being studied can be an effective way to curb the spread of diseases associated with mosquitos, but may also harm the growth, development, and overall health of organisms in the water.

The research at McDaniel College focuses on exposing upside-down jellyfish, also known as cassiopea, to the chemicals Naled, Malathion and Permethrin. Kerwin said the project could give scientists a better understanding of which legal pesticides are most harmful to the environment.

“It’s really going to be interesting to see what we find,” Kerwin said. “If we’re seeing that these insecticides are impacting these jellyfish in a strong way, we might want to address what insecticides we’re using.”

Jellyfish are an indicator species, which means they can be used to assess the health of an ecosystem. The upside-down jellyfish is particularly useful in modeling how coral, an endangered species, is likely to respond to waterborne insecticides. Cassiopea and coral have similar a tissue organization, Kerwin said, but coral is much harder to work with in a lab.

Naled is one of the most widely used pesticides for aerial mosquito control in both rural and urban areas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency . A 2020 health risk assessment found that exposure to the substance immediately after aerial application could pose health risks, and young children may be susceptible to contaminated surfaces. Naled is currently being reevaluated as part of a regularly occurring pesticide review process.

Malathion is used widely by farmers, gardeners, and to help eradicate the invasive cotton boll weevil, according to the EPA. A 2024 human health risk assessment did not identify any human health concerns related to Malathion.

Permethrin is the only substance used to treat insect-repellant clothes. The amount of permethrin allowed in clothing is very low, and the substance is not associated with health risks, as the substance is poorly absorbed by human skin, according to the EPA. Small amounts of permethrin can come off in the wash.

“If one of them has less of an impact than the others, then maybe that’s a better one to use,” Kerwin said. “We can try to figure out what best practices might be, and if these are things we need to be aware of, because currently they’re certified as safe by the EPA. We just want to dig a little further and see what’s really going on there.”

Researchers exposed jellyfish polyps to each of the three insecticides, and are monitoring any responses, including different genetic expressions. Kerwin said DNA is like a recipe for an organism, so new and unexpected flavors may emerge during the jellyfish’s development when a different ingredient, an insecticide, is added to the mix. Polyps are an immature developmental stage for Cassiopea xamachana.

The researchers are also studying the impacts of each insecticide on the bacteria that live symbiotically with cassiopea.

Initial results are promising, Kerwin said, although it is far too early to make any conclusions. The project is likely to yield at least a few papers co-authored by students and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Grant paves way for future studies

The National Science Foundation grant pays student researchers a rate that is comparable to a typical summer job, Kerwin said, and includes $50,000 earmarked for lab equipment. Kewin’s equipment purchases will help other faculty members, and may inspire and enable new research projects, she added.

The grant is part of the foundation’s Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology program, and Kerwin secured the grant just before her eligibility as a newer faculty member expired. The grant makes the high-caliber jellyfish research possible, and Kerwin said grants targeting newer faculty at smaller undergraduate programs are especially helpful.

“By expanding funding from this big organization, the National Science Foundation, to these smaller schools, it really gives us the opportunity to do really incredible research,” Kerwin said. “At smaller schools I’m in the lab with my students a lot, I’m really accessible to them, whereas at larger schools I probably wouldn’t have that opportunity.”

Student Angalyn Strouse, 20, said it is vital to understand how pesticides impact the environment, and the grant will support many important projects at McDaniel.

“It’s great for like McDaniel in general,” Strouse said, “because they’re providing different stuff to the biology department, and I don’t think we would have had the opportunity to do it without the grant, because it’s not cheap to do these different kinds of researches.”

Student Mackenzie McCarter, 21, said she learned a lot about research techniques this summer, and the experience will be great for her resume. McCarter plans to study cancer after attaining a doctorate in biology.

“I actually want to go into research after I graduate,” McCarter said, “and this is my first in-person, first-hand experience with doing research.”

Student Patty Punchasutthi, 19, said she expects to be ahead in the her biology classes after learning so much this summer.

A rising junior, Punchasutthi will return to the lab next summer, while the other students are set to graduate by next year and not return. Kerwin said having a returning student should provide helpful institutional knowledge of how the lab is run.

Kerwin said leading an all-female team was not by design. Student Ngwing Taku, 22, said the team works well together.

“It’s a big thing for to see a lot of women in STEM because you don’t really see that much,” Taku said.

“it’s very difficult being like a woman in a male-dominated field,” Punchasutthi said, “so it’s nice being around all these people, and getting along with them very well.”

“The biggest thing is that we’ll figure the best way to avoid hurting the environment,” Taku said.