E-Nouncements - October 2025

Dr. Jeremy Bono

Professor, Graduate Program Director 
Department Biology at CU Colorado Springs
NIH Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching (PERT) Fellow
NSF International Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D., Colorado State University - Biology
B.A. with High Honors and Distinction, Kenyon College

Date: October 24th
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Denver Campus – Science Building, Room 2001

Postmating molecular interactions and the evolution of reproductive incompatibilities between species

The female reproductive tract serves as the arena for a series of highly coevolved molecular interactions between the sexes. These interactions are often cooperative—facilitating fertilization and reproductive success—but they can also be antagonistic when postcopulatory sexual selection and conflict are strong. Such postcopulatory dynamics can drive rapid divergence in reproductive traits, leading to postmating-prezygotic (PMPZ) reproductive incompatibilities.

In this seminar, I will discuss my lab’s integrative work combining genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to uncover the molecular origins of PMPZ isolation. I will also highlight our recent discovery of a novel form of postmating interaction: RNA molecules transferred from males to females during copulation that are subsequently translated by the female. Because seminal fluid RNAs are found in diverse animal lineages, these findings may have broad implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms of reproduction across the tree of life.

Jeremy Siemers, M.S.

Zoologist and Zoology Team Leader
Colorado Natural Heritage Program
Warner College of Natural Resources
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
cnhp.colostate.edu

M.S, Colorado State University - Zoology
B.S., Colorado State University - Biological Sciences

Date: October 31st
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Denver Campus – Science Building, Room 2001

Bats of Colorado: Species, Threats, and Research

Certain bat species found in Colorado are facing unprecedented threats to their survival. We will discuss bat species that are found in Colorado and the emergent threats facing them, including white-nose syndrome and wind energy development. Unique challenges posed by bat ecology will be discussed as well as work being done in Colorado and the Western U.S. by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and other partners to address these threats.

Jeremy has worked with bats for over 20 years and is the Lead Zoologist for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, a research program at Colorado State University.  He has conducted surveys for and monitoring of bats throughout Colorado in habitats ranging from caves and mines to stock ponds and cattle troughs.  He is also involved in the Colorado component of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, a continent-wide effort to monitor bats as well as research on the bat species present within Colorado.

Master's student, Karina Li, and advisor Dr. Diana Tomback attended a research summit "Saving Yellowstone," on Jackson Fork Ranch in Bondurant, WY, during the first week of the Fall semester. This summit was hosted by Mr. Joe Ricketts, focusing on research funded by Ricketts Conservation Foundation and Jackson Fork Ranch enterprise, including the Tomback lab's Clark's nutcracker studies in Yellowstone National Park.  The second day featured presentations from national park, national forest and state game and fish administrators who presented views on the future trajectory of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The summit created a unique space for researchers to present their work and engage with federal and state resource managers on key conservation topics.

Congratulations to Jessica Romero (MS Biology 2023) for her Best Presentation award from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science's recent Microbiology Spotlight event held on August 26!  This recognition stems from Jessica's ability to communicate complex microbiological data to a general science audience!

Congratulations to our departmental nominees for the CLAS Outstanding Graduate Student Awards for Fall 2025.  The department is proud to have two strong nominees who have contributed to the research mission of the University and affiliates, to the teaching mission of the department, strong mentorship of undergraduates, and outstanding service to the profession and community:

MS category nominee:      Jessica Loeffler (advised by Andy Wilson at the Denver Botanic Gardens)

PhD category nominee:    Alyssa Hohorst  (advised by Ben Greenwood in Psychology)

Dr. Alan Vajda recently published his paper, P08-20 Reproductive Disruption in Fish Exposed to PFAS-Contaminated Groundwater at a Legacy Fire-Training Area in the September 2025 issues of the Science Direct Journal Toxicology Letters. 

Sara Branco led a team of researchers from many different institutions to publish an article on Myco-Ed, a program that gathers novel fungal data and provides opportunities for training in fungal biology and genomics. This Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience was piloted at CU Denver and has been implemented in 15 classrooms across 12 universities in 9 US states, training over 300 students in experimental design, fungal cultivation, DNA sequencing, genome annotation and analyses. The article, published in PLoS Pathogens, provides a program overview along with step-by-step instructions for new instructors to integrate Myco-Ed into teaching labs. This successful program contributes to alleviating the bottleneck hindering the recruitment and cultivation of a talented future mycological workforce.

Sara Branco is the lead researcher of a team of researchers from many different institutions that were awarded a $2.3M award from the Joint Genome Institute (Department of Energy) to investigate drought tolerance across the fungal kingdom. This project will be implemented through the educational program Myco-Ed and aims to sequence fungal genera lacking reference genomes, generate extensive phenotypic data on fungal drought tolerance through student participation, and employ AI approaches to identify genes associated with these traits. The team will take advantage of the scale offered by having hundreds of undergraduate students across the country isolating and phenotyping a large number of understudied fungi to shed light on the patterns and mechanisms associated with fungal drought tolerance.

Congratulations for the acceptance of their paper "Community and functional stability in a working bioreactor degrading 1,4-dioxane at the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site" in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.  Special thanks to Parsons Engineering, Chris Carlson and Dan Griffiths,  and the Lowry Trust for their support and collaboration.

Moore lab receives NSF award to study how dragonflies cope with the low oxygen in Colorado. They received $643,799 from the National Science Foundation to study the physiological barriers that species face when they try to escape climate change by moving to higher elevations. This work will use dragonflies as a model to help us understand where species can live in the mountains here in Colorado.

Sara Branco is part of an international research team that was awarded a $1.8M award from the Joint Genome Institute (Department of Energy) to investigate nitrogen metabolism in the symbiotic fungal genus Suillus. These fungi associate with trees and exchange nitrogen for sugars, thereby influencing nutrient cycling, seedling establishment, and ecosystem function. The project will use extensive genomics and transcriptomics approaches to identify core response genes and regulatory networks involved in nitrogen processing. This work will generate an unprecedented public resource on intrageneric fungal diversity and add key insights into the mechanisms of nitrogen use in symbiotic fungi.

Dr Michael Moore was published in the journal Nature Climate Change for his work on the Showy dragonflies are being driven extinct by warming and wildfire.

Diana Tomback's work on Whitebark pine in the United States projected to experience an 80% reduction in climatically suitable area by the mid-21st century, was published by The Environmental Research Letters.

Dr. Sara Branco publishes article on Myco-Ed, an educational program on fungal biology and genetics.She led a team of researchers from many different institutions to publish an article on Myco-Ed, a program that gathers novel fungal data and provides opportunities for training in fungal biology and genomics. This Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience was piloted at CU Denver and has been implemented in 15 classrooms across 12 universities in 9 US states, training over 300 students in experimental design, fungal cultivation, DNA sequencing, genome annotation and analyses. The article, published in PLoS Pathogens, provides a program overview along with step-by-step instructions for new instructors to integrate Myco-Ed into teaching labs. This successful program contributes to alleviating the bottleneck hindering the recruitment and cultivation of a talented future mycological workforce.

Animal Ecology published the article Dynamic environments generate geographic fluctuations in population structure of an inland shorebird on18 April, 2025.

Monday, Oct 27, 10 a.m.
-
11 a.m.
Free
Investing money doesn’t have to be complicated. In this class we will break down the basics from understanding the power of a dollar and the value of compound interest to the various investment types and different methods to investing.

Join us online on October 27th from 10 – 11 am!

Tuesday, Oct 21, 11:30 a.m.
-
12:15 p.m.
Free
AI is more than just a quicker version of a search engine. Did you know that GenAI has sets of tools, that when used within the framework of GenAI literacy, can support you with studying, planning, time management and other student success skills? This Study Skills Workshop will be held in person on the 2nd floor of the Learning Commons Building in the Learning Lab (#2230). Don’t forget to have you student ID ready so that you can badge into the Learning Commons.

Wednesday, Oct 22, 4 p.m.
-
4:50 p.m.
Free
Barbell Strength with Serena on Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 4:00-4:50pm in studio 1!

Lola and Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center
1355 12th Street
Denver, CO 80204

Thursday, Oct 23, Noon - 4 p.m.
FREE

Tivoli Quad

Join us for pumpkin decorating, carnival games, fall & CU Denver branded beanies! Our pumpkin patch will feature 400 pumpkins and will be even bigger and better this year.

We will have vendors and food trucks available for students to purchase goods and meals at. Also, there will be free hot cocoa, candy, and fall treats available.

Students can enter our pumpkin painting contest or come dressed in a Halloween costume to enter our costume contest for the chance to win airpods or a fun fall themed basket!

Thursday, Oct 23, 7 p.m.
-
9 p.m.
Free
Join us for the grand opening of the Tivoli Underground! This brand new venue will give students an exciting opportunity to experience live music, gain performance experience and attend fun events – all on the CU Denver campus. Come celebrate with us, watch student performances and learn more about the new space!

Wednesday, Oct 29, 3:30 p.m.
-
5 p.m.
Come chat over drinks and snacks other undergraduate researchers to discuss how you handle imposter syndrome, what has helped you succeed in research, and any tips you may have for others!  In-person only event. View Handshake for details and registration. 

Email undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu with questions.

Hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities.

900 Auraria Parkway
Denver, CO, 80204