Drew awarded $850K for clownfish research

DARTMOUTH – Assistant biology professor Robert Drew of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER award, which recognizes young, on-the-rise faculty members within their respective fields of education and research.
The award will provide $850,000 over five years to fund Drew’s work on clownfish and the mutually beneficial relationship with sea anemone, a flower-like species attached to the bottom of the ocean surface that are known to sting the flesh of prey with a dose of venom. Clownfish notably are unharmed by the anemone’s stinging tentacles.
Drew will explore this mysterious physiological relationship.
The grant also supports the integration of his research into education tools for several different age levels. The Faculty Early Career Development Program is a NSF-wide activity that offers the most prestigious awards to young, junior faculty who embody the role of teacher-scholars. •

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