Assistant Professor of Biology
Office: Science Center 63
Phone: (319) 352-8694
FAX: (319) 352-8606
Email: stephanie.toering@wartburg.edu

Mail address
Biology Department
Wartburg College
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, Iowa, USA 50677

Advising Expertise
Biology
Pre-medicine
Molecular/Cell Biology

Current Research
I have two major areas of research at the current time: mating pheromones in Drosophila and the function of l(2)37Cc, a homolog of the human Prohibitin protein, in Drosophila.

I am interested in pheromones, the chemical signals that individual organisms use to communicate with each other. In my lab, I use the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate pheromonal signaling involved in mating. Chemical signals are sent between males and females both before mating and after mating, and we can observe changes in behavior due to these exchanges. Current work in the lab is directed at how pheromone signaling is regulated, how female flies select potential mates, and the identification of new pheromone molecules.

I am also collaborating with Dr. Keith McClung to look at the function of l(2)37Cc in Drosophila. Dr. McClung has studied the Prohibitin protein in human cells and cancer cells lines, and I am now investigating the localization and function of the Drosophila homolog. This project is a great example of how research in model organisms (flies, worms, frogs, mice, etc.) can inform our knowledge of human proteins. See Dr. McClung’s page for more information on Prohibitin in human cancer.

Other Areas of Interest (for 455/456 students)

• Developmental processes in Drosophila melanogaster
• Projects that combine genetic, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches
  

Courses Taught
BI101 Concepts of Biology
BI132 Extreme Biology
BI152 Biology II: Phylogeny, Structure, and Function
BI295 Special Topics: Bahamian Ecology (May Term in the Bahamas, May odd years)
BI304 Developmental Biology
BI455 Methods of Biological Research
BI456 Student-Originated Research