Sana Nauman ‘26 is a neuroscience major here at Muhlenberg College, and recently she has become involved in interesting research with Jordanna Sprayberry, Ph.D. and fellow peers about bumblebees. “We focus on bumblebee odor navigation, and basically how human interferences such pesticides, fungicides, etc. can affect the bees’ navigation,” Nauman describes regarding the mission of the research. When there are these human interferences, bees are unable to find food sources, which poses a threat to the ecosystem.
With such a fascinating topic, Nauman recalls the moment in which she found herself intrigued by the interactions bees have in our human-impacted environment. She remembers being outside around campus and noticing a “bunch of bees just dead on the ground” and wondering how that came to be. Naumman was then reminded of a paper her friend was working on relating to this topic and decided to just “hop in the lab,” where she began the journey of her bee research. Nauman felt like she “clicked” with the structure and social environment of the research pretty immediately, igniting her passion for working on the project. She started this last summer and took a half credit this past fall semester. Now she is doing research for one full credit this spring.
“This all kind of ties back into my passion for neuroscience,” Nauman expresses when asked what she finds most fascinating about the research. “I just love the whole idea of neuroplasticity,” which can be understood as the brain’s ability to reorganize and form synaptic connections, especially in regards to learning and experience following injury. “Bees are very small,” she goes on to say, “but they have their antennas. That’s basically how they used to perceive different odors and stuff. They’re so complex and so different on an individual level. They kind of remind me of, like, small people, in a sense.” Nauman has always been intrigued by small animals, insects and the complexity that lies within them.
As of right now in the research, Nauman has a pretty hands-on role. With fellow researchers graduating soon, she is starting to take more of a lead in the project and notes that soon, she will be doing more “one-on-one” with Sprayberry to discuss future projects she can do, and where this research may lead them. Nauman is currently a pre-med student and plans to possibly go to med school sometime in the future, so she “probably won’t pursue this research after undergraduate,” but she still mentions how this project will carry with her and connect to the future of her studies.
“I learned a lot from this lab, such as communicating with other lab peers and adapting to different environments, because in a lab, for example, if one protocol doesn’t work, you have to find another one. And so just those critical thinking skills I think will help no matter what field you go into.” The research, she hopes, will be continued and passed down to “younger lab mates” in the future, because the topic, she explains, has a wider purpose. “We are exploring the interferences that humans do that come with climate change, like pesticides, farming and whatnot, and how that affects populations of bumblebees whether or not they can efficiently track down a food source.”
In terms of the general topic of how research is conducted here at Muhlenberg, Nauman had a positive and insightful response. “I love this question, because I always bring this up on my tours, but one thing I really love about Muhlenberg is how strong the bonds between our science departments and students are,” Nauman expressed. “I see the neuroscience people and I know every one of them personally, which I feel is something that’s so hard to see at other, especially larger, schools.”
Nauman notes how easy it was to get involved with research at Muhlenberg just as a first-year student. “Anyone can do it, all you have to do is reach out to the professor and they’re more than happy to let you volunteer in that lab.”
Going beyond the focus of her research though, Nauman wanted to share her overall thoughts regarding getting involved in labs and projects. She notes the “imposter syndrome” that can come with research when students wonder if they are even capable of doing or understanding the work, which Nauman believes “often deters students from then pursuing research.” Despite that, Nauman still believes that students are capable of doing and understanding their research. “You don’t have to be scared about not knowing anything,” Nauman ends with, “because at the end of the day, we all don’t really know anything, you know?” It is a learning process for anyone involved with any type of research, and is something, as Nauman has explained, that has taught her many new skills she will carry forever, going beyond perhaps the buzzing topic of bees.
