Undergraduate Biology Class Collaborates on Peer-Reviewed Research

Undergraduate Biology Class Collaborates on Peer-Reviewed Research

It's valuable for undergraduate biologists to learn about the academic research ecosystem, including the peer-review process that determines what scientific findings make it into academic journals and ultimately advance their field.

Even more valuable? Participating in that ecosystem.

Dr. Tomer Avidor-Reiss, a professor in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics' Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, routinely walks his students through the process of drafting, submitting, revising and ultimately publishing a peer-reviewed article through the course Biological Literature and Communication.

The second and latest article to come out of these efforts, which analyzes mutations in spermatozoa linked to male infertility, is now published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

"Research-based learning sparks students' curiosity and creativity and encourages them to develop innovative skills," said Avidor-Reiss, who also oversees students in conducting research and publishing academic articles in another undergraduate biology course. "A published article provides them with a final product they can be proud of and use as proof of their skills and accomplishments to support their next career step."

Avidor-Reiss is a trailblazer in the study of male infertility, with much of his current research building on his groundbreaking discovery of a previously unknown structure in human and most other mammalian sperm cells - a second centriole that's atypical in shape compared to the long-identified canonical centriole.

He joins his colleagues across the University in welcoming students into his research laboratory as early as their first semester on campus in line with the Advantage Toledo initiative championed by UToledo President James Holloway.

In Biological Literature and Communication, a required course designed to focus on reading original literature in biology in a variety of formats, and Research Project Laboratory, an elective course designed to provide hands-on authentic research experience and a comprehensive understanding of the scientific process, Avidor-Reiss extends an additional experiential learning opportunity to undergraduate students by introducing them to the peer-review process.

He's currently overseeing article submissions still in the works for students enrolled in both courses in 2025, as well as work from students currently enrolled in Research Project Laboratory.

Isabel Kennedy, née Nester, enrolled in Biological Literature and Communication in 2024, which resulted in the latest article in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. She and her classmates analyzed two dozen proteins known to cause mutations in human and mouse spermatozoa. Then they collaborated on a first draft of their academic research article designed to inform in vitro fertilization practitioners and highlight the need for more robust diagnostic testing to improve the prognosis for patients.

"In the beginning, it was hard to foresee how about 20 people were all going to contribute meaningfully to a research paper. The structure of the class focused on collaboration and consistent, constructive peer feedback, which allowed all students to learn quickly and get the paper published in less than a year," said Kennedy, who continued to develop the draft following the end of the semester alongside classmate Haley Prine, teaching assistant Derek Kluczynski and Avidor-Reiss. "It's incredible how quickly we were successful! I am looking forward to using this experience to help me further when I participate in medical education research this summer and beyond."

Kennedy graduated with a degree in biology in 2024 and is now pursuing a medical degree at UToledo's College of Medicine and Life Sciences.

She's one of 15 credited as a co-author in the Journal of Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, joining Prine, David Adegoke, Mira Adkins, Brady Artz, Yash Byreddy, Natalie Doumet, Rudraksh Dua, Gunnar Eriksen, Ethan Gartee, Kadyn Heising, Conner Liber, Nathan Pan, Haley Salazar and Jakya Warren as well as Avidor-Reiss and Kluczynski.