Daniel Faudree '21

2020 SOAR Profile

Assembling the Earthworm Genome

Majors: Biology and Psychology
Hometown: Odenton, MD
Project Advisor(s): Dr. Christopher Jones

Briefly describe your project. 

The purpose of this project is to use a supercomputer and a litany of programs to organize DNA strands from Lumbricus terrestris, which is the earthworm.

Describe the origin of your project. (E.g., did you pitch the idea and choose a faculty member, or did they come to you with an idea?) 

The idea to assemble the genome came from Dr. Jones because he had the raw data ready to be organized, but there is a call within the scientific community for the earthworm genome to be assembled.

What’s the best part about working with your faculty mentor? What valuable insights have they brought to your project?

The best part was learning how to assemble a genome and then applying it. Refining the strategies used to assemble a genome on the fly was by far the most valuable asset.

What has been your biggest obstacle so far?

The biggest obstacle was understanding the fundamental differences in the output of each different program, and there were plenty of programs.

What has been your biggest takeaway from this experience?

The most important takeaway has been understanding that although I am uncomfortable with not completing a task, I am definitely comfortable with being a researcher for the rest of my life. 

What was the result of your project? 

The general result was an incomplete assembly, but it was revealed that the data is contaminated with bacterial DNA.

In your own words, how do you feel about being awarded this opportunity? Why should other students take advantage of the SOAR program at Moravian College?

Being awarded the opportunity to test the waters of a research lifestyle is without a doubt a formative and rewarding experience. The SOAR program provides a structure system for going forward and into graduate research. Any student who is passionate about a subject but not quite sold on graduate school should take advantage of SOAR.

Now that SOAR is over, do you plan to expand upon your research? If so, how?

Before I set foot into SOAR, I had planned to expand my research into an honors project. Now that SOAR has concluded, it is more than ever apparent that expanding into an honors project is necessary.

Have you, or do you plan to present this research outside the SOAR presentations? If so, where? Be specific, if possible.

I believe Scholars Day is the only place outside of SOAR that I plan to present my research.