Pernet Lab - Marine Invertebrate Biology

Dr. Bruno Pernet
Department of Biological Sciences
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90840

tel 562-985-5378
fax 562-985-8878
email bpernet@csulb.edu

office PH1-229
lab PH1-231

office hours Spring 2010:

Mon 1330-1430, Tue 0830-1000

My students and I ask questions about how invertebrate animals develop, how they function, and how they have evolved. My specific research projects tend to focus on the evolution of development and the functional morphology of larvae in animals whose embryos undergo spiral cleavage (e.g., annelid worms, like the serpulid Protula as an adult above, and as embryos and larva below). I mostly study marine animals but am happy to work in freshwater now and then. I study and teach about these animals and topics as assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at California State University, Long Beach. Learn more about the lab by following the links at the left.

STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES!
I enjoy working with undergraduate and graduate students in research on a diversity of topics in invertebrate biology. Look at my research page and abstracts of papers I've written to get a better sense of my own specific interests, but note that I am delighted to help with work on many different topics and taxa. My lab is equipped to answer questions with descriptive and experimental techniques including larval culture, light and electron microscopy, video microscopy, basic DNA analyses, and many sorts of field work; more techniques are accessible through collaboration with other CSU Long Beach faculty or faculty at nearby institutions. If you are interested in doing research in my lab, please contact me! I'm always willing to discuss project ideas you've come up with based on your coursework or field or lab observations, or to suggest projects that I think are interesting.

If you're a prospective graduate student interested in applying to CSU Long Beach to earn a master's degree in my lab, I ask that you supply me with two documents to help me decide whether or not to support your application:

1) a current curriculum vitae. Please send me (via email) a detailed CV that includes your GPA, GRE scores (general test) if available, and contact information for two references. This gives me a quick overview of your academic history and research experience.

2) a proposal for a research project. I ask all prospective students to provide me with a short (~2 pages) proposal for a research project that you would be interested in doing if you were to come to my lab. Your proposal should include a clearly-defined question or hypothesis, rationale for the research, and an outline of the methods. The project has to be reasonable in the context of a 2-3 yr degree program and should focus on species found near CSU Long Beach or easily cultured in the lab. I also ask that your proposed project be at least loosely related to my research interests. Writing such a proposal will obviously require you to do a little homework and thinking about your goals and interests.

Your proposal will help me to assess your ability to formulate a feasible project and your ability to communicate your ideas in writing. It will help you to focus your ideas, and could become the basis of your master's project. You will not, however, be held to your proposed project once you arrive here. If you have any questions about these requests, please feel free to contact me.

Last modified 12 Jan 2010