Biology students and faculty participate in Great Lakes research conference

Wayne State University faculty and students are playing a vital role in this week's 60th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research in Detroit.

The conference, which has drawn more than 1,000 scientists from around the world, focuses on the health and vitality of the world's largest body of freshwater.

WSU students and faculty have given presentations on everything from the effects of bacteria on local quagga mussels to gene expression in round gobies.

This year's theme is From Cities to Farms: Shaping Great Lakes Ecosystems. The conference is convened by the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) and hosted by Michigan Sea Grant, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

Wayne State biology professor and conference co-chair Donna Kashian says this year's event is the best attended in IAGLR history. Nearly 100 students from institutions across the country have been lodging in WSU's residence halls and attending student mixers during their time in Detroit.

Encouraged by faculty, WSU biology students have taken full advantage of this unique opportunity to display posters and present their research to an international group of scientists and scholars.

Darrin Hunt, a Ph.D. student in Kashian's Aquatic Ecology Lab, was thrilled to have the chance to attend the event. "It's been great to network with peers, but more than that, this conference is truly strengthening a sense of community among freshwater researchers."

Follow the hashtag #IAGLR2017 on social media for conference updates.