Chris M Merkes

I began my studies at University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point as a molecular biologist testing ticks for the Lyme disease pathogen Borellia burgdorferi and tracking the movement pattern of the spirochete through a local nature reserve. Simultaneously, I was also working as a water chemist studying the effects of agricultural runoff into streams and testing private well water for human health concerns (for example: fecal coliform bacteria, arsenic, or heavy metal contamination).  I then took a job at University of Kansas (KU) as a fruit fly geneticist using recombinant inbred fruit fly lines to map genetic influences on complex traits such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol sensitivity. I then joined the graduate program at KU and completed a master’s project examining developmental defects in a zebrafish cancer model. My thesis work used a combination of genetic and biochemical techniques in zebrafish embryos and human cell lines to show that the Ewing’s Sarcoma Breakpoint Region 1 gene (ewsr1) helps control skeletal development by modifying the regulation of Sex Determination Region Y – Box 9 (SOX9) target genes.

I began working for the USGS – UMESC in 2013 where I use my skills in molecular biology to promote healthy ecosystems primarily in developing tools for species-specific controls and monitoring for aquatic invasive species.