This school year, east coast students will become junior soapberry bug scientists as they document the insect's northern advance! K-12 students will learn how to collect data and identify wildlife while being exposed to the latest scientific research. The biometric data that they collect will be used to answer one of the toughest questions of soapberry science. "What is the genetic mechanism that causes the wings to develop differently?" asks Dr. David Angelini the scientist behind this project, "is there a genetic component to them being long- or short-winged?" Funded by the prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Angelini will bring soapberry bug ecology into the classroom to teach children about the genetic underpinnings of life.
