Stephanie Toering Peters

Professor of Biology

(319) 352-8694

(319) 352-8606

stephanie.toering@wartburg.edu

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More about Stephanie Toering Peters

B.S., 1996, Hope College
Ph.D., 2003, Stanford University

Dr. Richard L. and Sandra K. Wahl Professorship in Biology
Established in 2019 with a gift from Dr. Richard L. and Sandra K. Wahl

Current Research
I have three major areas of research at the current time: genome annotation, investigating the function of the gene l(2)37Cc, a homolog of the human Prohibitin protein, in Drosophila and the role of particular genes in neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction in Drosophila.

I participate in the Genomics Education Partnership, a collaborative effort to introduce undergraduates to bioinformatics research and annotate recently sequenced genomes to understand more about genome and gene structure and function. This research uses bioinformatics tools and homology between species to determine the gene structure of genes in new genomes.

My second project involves the gene l(2)37Cc in Drosophila that is homologous to the Prohibitin protein in humans (and many other organisms). Professor Emeritus of Biology, Dr. McClung has studied the Prohibitin protein in human cells and cancer cell lines, and my students and I are 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 and human biology.

The third project is a collaboration with C. Andrew Frank at the University of Iowa. Dr. Frank is interested in the process of synaptic homeostasis at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The NMJ is the region of the muscle where the neuron signals to the muscle to contract, and homeostasis is a process by which the neuron alters the amount of neurotransmitter released in response to an unknown signal from the muscle cell. While I was a FUTURE Fellow at Iowa (summers of 2011 and 2014), I identified a gene involved in neurotransmission at the NMJ, and I am continuing to characterize the role this particular gene has in the process in collaboration with Wartburg students.

Other Areas of Interest (for 455/456 students)

  • Developmental processes in Drosophila melanogaster
  • Pheromonal communication in Drosophila melanogaster
  • Projects that combine genetic, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches
Advising Expertise
Biology
Pre-medicine
Pre-dental
Pre-optometry
Pre-nursing
Molecular/Cell Biology

Courses Taught
BI152 Biology II: Phylogeny, Structure, and Function
BI208 Island Ecology (May Term in the Bahamas, May odd years)
BI211 Genetics
BI304 Developmental Biology
BI360 Genomics and Bioinformatics
BI455 Methods of Biological Research
BI456 Student-Originated Research
BI461 Science Seminar
ID361 Early Human Experience